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O P I N I O N
Pivotal moment, pivotal decisions Under threat, firms solve problems when leaders commit to the right roles and the right people to inform, inquire, and act.
Y ou’ve all been there. A room full of eight, 18, or even 80 anxious people. You have come together to express alarm about a recent negative event. Usually someone or something catalyzed it: Several people left suddenly, saying they found the firm practice out of touch with the modern market. A long-term client took its new marquee project to another firm. The next generation of leaders announce that now is their time to lead, here or elsewhere. Emotions run high, rationality runs low, and everyone wants leadership to fix it – now.
Julie Benezet GUEST SPEAKER
also have no time. Leadership must uncover root causes and spearhead change – now. best. Best means setting aside ego and putting the right people into the right roles.” “Situations that threaten a firm’s future demand immediate leadership attention. They also ask for their
How you got there is unclear. What happened to the firm plan for updating the marketing strategy? Who failed to check in with the client? What did we avoid doing that allowed our competitors to appeal to our emerging leaders? One thing is clear. Solving the problem will require entering uncharted, choppy waters where difficult conversations and untested ideas await. These situations carry no checklists. The formulaic processes of a strategic planning retreat, client services training, or succession planning may not square with the actual problems at hand. You
See JULIE BENEZET, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER December 4, 2017, ISSUE 1226
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