CEOs and their senior leadership of most major corporations are usually highly proficient individuals who run their business units or functions efficiently but they may not work as well together to guide the overall firm. This whitepaper by Senn Delaney Founder Dr. Larry Senn and CEO and President Jim Hart will help leaders consider your senior team and how members might more effectively meet eight requirements of a healthy, high-performance enterprise leadership team.
the team at
the top -
is it really
a team?
CEOs and their senior leadership of mostmajor corporations are usually highly profi-cient individuals who run their business unitsor functions efficiently, but they may notwork as well together to guide the overallfirm.
This article will help leaders consider yoursenior team and how they might more effec-tively meet eight requirements of a healthy,high-performance enterprise leadership team.
By Dr. Larry Senn and Jim HartLeaders at the top of the company cast aleadership shadow that sets the examplefor the organization to follow. Without goodteaming skills at the top, the organizationrarely reaches its full potential. Withoutalignment at the top that is clear and visibleto the entire organization, things aren'texecuted as well down the line.
Many, if not most, of the in a way that maximizes the value of the the company's strategies.total enterprise. That includes makingteams that we work with at decisions for the greater good, being Without good teaming skills at the top,mutually supportive and aligning around the organization rarely reaches its fullthe very top of the organiza- key strategies and initiatives so that they potential. Without alignment at the toption face the question: Are we understand them, support them and that is clear and visible to the entirespeak with one voice to the organization. organization, things aren't executed asor do we need to be a team or well down the line.are we heads of business units Most large organizations have two groupsthat can be considered teams at the top. Some of the specific things seniorand functional areas? There is a smaller group of direct reports teams need to be aligned aroundto the CEO or a subset of direct reports include:that, when formalized, is often an officeIt is much easier for a specific business of the CEO or executive team and, if How do we best use shared services,unit with defined initiatives and goals to informal, is the "kitchen cabinet." It is such as Human Resources, Legal, IT,see the need for an aligned leadership usually the decision-making body. etc., to get the best result for theteam. The need for an enterprise team at overall organization?the very top is less clear, particularly in a There is also a larger group of businessholding company structure. The company What are the ways we can work bet-unit and functional heads who form acan operate effectively with each business ter among business units to gain anymanagement or operating committee.unit largely doing its own thing. When a synergy or better serve customers?While it may not be a decision-makingcompany's strategy calls for it to organize As a senior team, how can we impartbody, this management group must beas a shared business model, the senior common, aligned messages down intoseen by the organisation as aligned andleadership must adopt enterprise team the organization?on board with the company's purpose,thinking. strategies and culture. Members must How can we collectively shape thespeak with one voice to the organization. culture to best execute our strategies?Why most leaders decidethey need to team What can we personally do to alignThe power of alignment at the top the organization around the compa-When the question is more closely exam- ny's purpose and vision?Leaders at the top of the company cast ained, almost all of our clients have con- The subsets of the senior team also needleadership shadow that sets the examplecluded that there are legitimate reasons to collaborate and align. People in eachfor the organization to follow. That iswhy the officers at the top of the organi- functional area will constantly need to askwhy it is important for leaders who reportzation do need to be a team or at least how they can be even more innovative,to the CEO to align their personal pur-know how to be effective team players. and resourceful and foster a learningpose with the company's purpose orBy a team at the top, we simply mean the environment to support other functionsvision. Additionally, they need to focus onfollowing: The senior leadership and and divisions in the business.how to effectively work together to cre-those one or two levels below the CEO ate the desired culture needed to executecommit (and learn how) to work together Rigid adherence to "the way we do it
the team at the top-is it really a team? [2]around here" will erode cross-functionalsupport and alignment. % of executive... [download for more]
