As he entered the room, he was looking quite frustrated to say the
least, and he is someone who does not feel frustrated so easily. That raised
the curiosity of many in the room who have known him as the “jolly old fellow”
always ready to help anyone with a smile. As someone who had been there done
that with rarely a fluster it was unusual and appeared unnatural. We naturally
gravitated towards him wanting to understand the load of the mountain he was
carrying that bowed him down.
He was an acknowledged leader and had been a CIO for close to two
decades; his business acumen, industry and domain experience was unparalleled.
As a turnaround CIO he had changed IT perceptions and created delivery
frameworks in many companies. Through thick and thin he portrayed himself as
the savior for challenged business and IT; the image stuck and led to his
enviable growth. If he ever had moments of uncertainty or felt overpowered by a
situation, no one had the privilege of seeing that.
So the emotion that he displayed was alien to the group; they
tentatively edged up to him to seek the reason for his annoyance. What could
have flustered the first amongst equals ? He looked around at the anticipation
and decided to share his situation. It appeared to be an innocuous position
which everyone felt should be easily resolvable. As the discussion progressed
the perception slowly faded away to leave the group in an exasperated state of
mind. It was as if there was no way out.
The CIO was doing well working with the business and the Board; the
company had endorsed his plan and strategy including required investments.
Everyone was happy with progress, direction and outcomes. He had no reason to
worry or think about anything adverse happening or changing his reality. The
company underwent a management change and he now had a new boss whose belief
system was a contrast to the earlier culture. She challenged everything and
wanted to be involved in every meeting with peers and be the gatekeeper to
every communication.
She restricted access to the CEO and the Board with a view that their
time is valuable and everything that goes upwards or sideways needs her
endorsement. The CIO used to a free hand started feeling stifled and struggled to
work within the new rules. Every presentation, communication, and meeting
request needed approval; the new manager appeared to require control of
everything. Other CXOs reporting into her also shared similar experiences. Individually
and collectively a solution failed them.
Seeking advice from other peers and earlier managers did not reveal any
new solutions. The CEO was either unaware of the discomfort of the team or did
not believe that the situation warranted a change. So everyone who was being
touched by her cringed and wondered how to overcome the overbearing and
autocratic behavior of their new colleague. Her credentials were reasonable,
the bravado and projected success larger than life. Her conviction and
mannerism did not easily allow for a challenge.
Having run out of options, our CIO friend was thus wallowing in choppy
seas with no straws to clutch and wondering if he should look for new
opportunities. A few members of the group shared similar experiences in their
respective careers where they finally found a way out on their way out. People
join companies, people leave their bosses stood proven many times over. Then
someone raised an interesting question. “Why not align to the new style and
start working to new expectations rather than fighting them ?”
It was as if that option was never considered and fight of wills was the
only option. Agreed that it is a
departure from the conventional and it puts a constraint on the ability of the
CIO to continue to innovate, in the absence of any other avenue, this may be a
model that allows progress. It had everyone wondering and as they thought
deeper, the solution appeared practical though not in the best interest of the
flexibility and freedom that typically CIOs enjoy. I am not sure I would choose
that path, but then …
What would you do ?
Here there is a big dependency on the new style, whether its the correct way or not; by saying correct way I mean in the long run does it benifit the end cause I.e. the Organisation future (as it is the third party in the discussion,) and reason for the existence of the CIO's current position and his boss' s current position. No necessarily micromanagement is a restriction but depending upon the situation and the project need it is important for the Boss to decide what is right and have trust developed that; its not a personal style but the need of the hour to do so, with an open approach to accept mistakes and new ideas and opinion from the CIO. This would create a balance and a mutual respect which I feel is missing in the above scenario. Leadership is not just leading from the from but an ability drive from the backseat also. Here the leadership can be seen from both's perspective ; the CIO and his Boss.
ReplyDeleteGood write up but very similar to your earlier write up "My Boss Changed" . Just the there are different positions in question here.
ReplyDeleteIn many cases, the solutions could be similar.
DeleteInteresting scenario. The CIO HAS TO balance between being open to new perspectives ( brought in by his new boss) against his native approach, that has proven successful for him, his team and the organisations he has worked with. More than anything, if the new boss REALLY adds value, then, to an extent, her "controlling" or micro-management style may be acceptable. But if this style is just that (style), perhaps representing her own insecurities (as is usually the case with controls freaks), then the CIO (or any competent and successful professional) to quickly cut to the chase, and evaluate options:
ReplyDelete1. Adapt and stay
2. Escalate the issue to the CEO
3. Leave
To be noted - in the case of such differences in style between boss and subordinate getting escalated, usually the boss wins - doesn't matter who is right! So option 2 and 3 may be the same ;-)
Geet, you remind me of Marshall Goldsmith, "What got you here, won't get you there"
Delete