When organisations witness growth, certain challenges and opportunities come with it. A new level of opportunity and challenges are closed door neighbours of growth. How a leader manages this situation will determine the future of such organisation. This is irrespective of the level of organisation’s present outstanding performances.
Nothing is static and leaders must ensure their learning and situation monitoring antennal are always well-positioned to pick up ques and signals. Beyond this, ability to know what to do, a product of experience, research, relevant knowledge acquired over time, in repositioning or reshaping the organisation system to perform optimally and beyond must come to play. Effective communication, fence mending, strategy and tactic will go a long way in this regard.
Leaders cannot afford to be silent when each department or unit is becoming a thin god or working in isolation. Whatever the motive is. This often ranges from a desire to get all the credit or to assume unnecessary superiority over others. No living organism succeeds when one part is most active while others are left in redundancy or where ego and strive become the order of the day.
The moment corporate shared values and unifying factors are overlooked or thrashed; the organisation has become a time bomb. No matter the level of achievement it is enjoying now. Wise leaders must constantly monitor and affirm, irrespective of the present challenges, opportunity or growth margin; everyone, and units must continue to uphold a culture which enhances unity, team building and pursuit of overall corporate objectives and goals.
It is the duty of leadership to ensure everyone, and units pursues same vision and goals. Contributions of all must be affirmed and promoted every day and every time.
The danger and undoing of many successful organisations of yesteryears are traceable to silo culture which influence became so strong while the leadership remained unconcerned, careless or refused to acknowledge the problem and act on time.
Let us take a case study of a flourishing Ad Agency in Nigeria few years ago. This thriving advertising company we will refer to as Pinnacle Advertising. This corporate leading agency became the cynosure of everyone, and many struggled to work with this organisation so as to put its name on their CVs.
As the company witnessed growth, individuals and units within the organisation, which are technocrats in their own fields, began to overlook importance of team spirit and unifying factors that make a healthy system function. The focus shifted to who brought in more money and pursuit of personal rewards over corporate visions.
The management strongly believed in the skills of its employees but gradually began to overlook basic attitude which promoted silo culture. This was alien to the organisation. At the critical situations, when it became so obvious leadership must act in order to prevent imminent dangers, many of the top-level officials in the organisation lacked fundamental crisis communication knowledge and strong will to enforce a cross-silo culture which delivers greater dividends to all.
The aftermath of all the intrigues and power play made a thriving and leading company to go into insignificance and relegation in the industry today.
The import of the above in a workplace or organisation is like a ship, sailing towards a destination that has been communicated to those onboard. Although all the occupants may not know how to get there, they trust the crew of the ship, spearheaded by the Captain, to navigate them through the seas and storms to the target destination.
While this might come off as a simplistic way of describing an organisation, its essence is certainly not lost in the use of such a metaphor. While the Helmsman is steering the wheel and watching out for any storm that might threaten the smooth sail, other crew members are doing their duties diligently in their various corners to ensure that everything stays on course.
Promoting individualism above corporate goals and values, an indication that can lead to entrenchment of silo culture, has never produced and will never produce any great and sustainable growth. If it does momentarily, leaders should know they must act decisively, and make hay while the sun shines. A time comes when efforts put in may be late or may not guarantee the expected and quick turnaround.
Leaders should never forget competitors are watching and waiting. A slight delay may change the dynamics of the market and the second in command will rule. Do look out for part two of this article.
Toye Sobande
Sobande is a doctoral candidate in strategic leadership at Regent University, Virginia Beach, USA —
