In the quest to understand what sets apart the leaders of high-performing organizations, the article delves into the motivational and attitudinal patterns (MAPs) of CEOs who have successfully led organizational transformations. This exploratory, mixed-method, multiple case study identifies six key MAPs that differentiate CEOs of Baldrige Award recipient companies from other effective senior leaders.
Key Findings
Continuous Evolution: Baldrige CEOs exhibit a strong drive for continuous improvement and evolution. They are never satisfied with the status quo and constantly seek ways to enhance their organizations.
Systems Thinking: These leaders have a high focus on systems and processes, understanding their organizations as interconnected systems. This perspective helps them align and integrate various organizational components to achieve performance excellence.
Collaborative Responsibility: Unlike many leaders who prefer sole responsibility, Baldrige CEOs are more team-oriented and collaborative. They share responsibility and credit with their teams, fostering a culture of engagement and teamwork.
Learning from the Past: Baldrige CEOs place significant importance on learning from past experiences. They use historical data and performance trends to inform their decisions and drive future strategies.
Fact-Based Management: These leaders are highly motivated to work with facts and information. They rely on comprehensive scorecards and data-driven insights to guide their decision-making processes.
Intolerance for Inconsistency: Baldrige CEOs have a low tolerance for actions that are inconsistent with the organization’s values and vision. They are willing to take decisive actions, including removing employees who resist change or do not align with the organization’s goals.
Implications for Leadership Development
The findings of this study have significant implications for leadership development programs. By understanding the MAPs that drive successful organizational transformations, organizations can better design and implement training programs that cultivate these traits in their leaders. Additionally, these insights can inform succession planning and hiring processes, ensuring that future leaders possess the necessary attitudes and motivations to lead their organizations to excellence.
Conclusion
The study highlights that the attitudes and motivations of CEOs play a crucial role in the success of high-performing organizations. By focusing on continuous improvement, systems thinking, collaboration, learning from the past, fact-based management, and intolerance for inconsistency, Baldrige CEOs set themselves apart as effective leaders capable of driving organizational excellence.
Larson, Milan., Latham, J. R., Appleby, C. A., & Harshman, C. L. (2012). CEO attitudes and motivations: Are they different for high performing organizations? In Quality Management Journal (Vol. 19, Issue 4, p. 15). DOI: 10.1080/10686967.2012.11918083