Must Read for Leaders

I read this in my mailed copy of Fastcompany, but the article is online too.

It is called Adding Value -- but at What Cost? The subtitle is "In his debut column, the world's top executive coach explains why half of what a leader says may not be worth saying."

This is a new column by Marshall Goldsmith, who is "corporate America's preeminent executive coach." He should be an interesting read each month. This article is so important for strong-minded leaders.

It isn't a long article. Read the whole article. But here is a snippet.

In Jon's case, he was displaying a variation on the need to win: adding too much value. It's particularly common among smart people. They may retain remnants of a top-down management style even if they don't want to. These leaders are smart enough to realize that most of their subordinates know more in specific areas than they ever will, but old habits die hard. It's difficult for them to listen to others disclose information without communicating either that they already knew about it or that they know a better way.

The problem is, while they may have improved the idea by 5%, they've reduced the employee's commitment to executing it by 30%, because they've taken away that person's ownership of the idea. Therein lies the fallacy of added value: Whatever is gained in the form of a better idea may be lost six times over in the employee's diminished enthusiasm for the concept. One of my top clients said, "Unfortunately, at the CEO level, my suggestions get taken as orders, even if I don't want them to."