Developing versatile leadership

Kaplan, R.E. & Kaiser, R.B. (2003). Developing versatile leadership. MIT Sloan Management Review, 44(4), 19-26.  Runner up for the MIT/PricewaterHouse Coopers award for article of the year.

Managers are often taken to task for the things they don’t do well or for the gaps in their skills. Less recognized is the problem of leaders who overdo it — whose over-developed skills cause an imbalance in their approach to the job. Such managers tend to have an either/or focus — they are either people-oriented or task-oriented, big-picture thinkers or fixated on execution, and so on. This article develops a framework based on two overarching leadership balances: between forceful and enabling approaches and between strategic and operational orientations. A model is presented for helping managers overcome these dualities by not just developing behavioral skill but also working on their inner game of distorted ideas and emotional sensitivities that give rise to imbalances in behavior.

This article was the runner up for the MIT/PwC award for article of the year, voted so by a panel of CEO and Chairmen. Said one judge: “The authors did a terrific job discussing the complex dimensions of leadership in a way that is both rigorous and practical. The metrics they present are very compelling and quite original. The conclusions they draw are extremely insightful and carry enormous implications for leadership.”

Article in copyrighted periodical. Reprint available at: MIT Sloan Management Review

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