Case Study Three: "The President Who Saw Himself in Everything"
As President of a large communications firm, Phil was intelligent, analytical and persuasive. He worked long hours to set an example. He was proud of how he had led the company through challenging times.
He felt like he represented the values of his company in everything he did. He stood for his company - and the company was a reflection of him and his achievements. He thought of himself as a supportive and collaborative leader.
He thought wrong.
When O'Brien Group went to work, we discovered a weary executive team, drained of all their energy. They had become order takers. They believed he was a control freak who insisted on micro managing every element of their operations. They joked that he stayed late to make sure all the toilets had been flushed.
If a system completely out of his bailiwick went down, he became stressed and pulled rank on the people responsible for it.
In working with his coach, he began to understand the reality of his situation. He saw that he was controlling everything he could get his fingers on out of fear that something would go wrong. And if something went wrong, he would be perceived as an inadequate leader. It would reflect on him personally. After all, he was in charge. This was his company.
Over time, he learned how to let go. He began to see the company less as a reflection of him, and more as the sum of its parts. Instead of controlling all of its parts, he learned to try a different approach. He set out to inspire and motivate each one.
He stopped talking at people and started talking with them. He fostered an open exchange of ideas and problem solving. As he began having honest dialogues with his employees, they developed confidence and trust in one another. He learned to trust their judgment and they learned to trust his.
His employees rallied behind his leadership as he became the supportive and collaborative leader he had imagined he was.
Instead of the company being his, it became theirs. Then it grew at unprecedented rates to become a major player in its industry.
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