The Clarity Principle : How Great Leaders Make the Most Important Decision in Business (and What Happens When They Don't)

Turf wars, low morale, bad politics, and misguided strategies: these are issues that claim much of a leader’s time. But this parade of dysfunctions and messy “people” problems actually points to an organization confused about its core business, torn between competing ideas about what it is and wants to be—an organization facing an identity crisis. Strategy and leadership expert Chatham Sullivan argues that when the purpose of a business becomes confused, it is the leaders’ responsibility to restore clarity, especially in the face of tough strategic choices that have political, personal, and cultural consequences for the organization. Sullivan shows leaders how to take the decisive stand that clarifies their organization’s core purpose. Featuring compelling stories of leaders who have succumbed to and successfully resolved their organizations’ identity crises, The Clarity Principle bridges the gap between leadership and strategy and demonstrates the tremendous gains to be achieved by leaders willing to make tough choices. Turf wars, low morale, bad politics and misguided strategies: these kinds of dysfunctions and messy "people" problems consume much of a leader's time. But strategy and leadership expert Chatham Sullivan shows us that when these issues become chronic and pervasive, its a tell-tale sign that something more fundamental is broken. The organisation has lost sight of its purpose. Beyond making money, every company has a purpose: it exists to solve a particular kind of problem in the world. Whether you are a pharmaceutical company carving out a unique way to treat patients or a global retailer satisfaying a particular consumer desire, your market, your customers, and the people in your organisation need to know clearly what the business is about. Just like individuals, companies must know "who" they are, what they are up to and why it matters. When leaders find their organisation steeped in dysfunction and mired in an identity crisis, their most important responsibility is to restore clarity. But in the face of conflicting visions and tough decisions that will have profuond political, personal, and cultural consequences for the organisation, leaders often flinch. As a result, their most carefully crafted strategies misfire, morale sags, and competitive advantage melts away. Featuring compelling stories of leaders who have successfully resolved their organisation's identity crises -- and some who have succumbed -- "The clarity principle" bridges the divide between leadership and strategy, demonstrating the tremendous gains to be achieved by leaders willing to clearly define their organisation's core purpose."--Inside front cover Turf wars, low morale, bad politics, and misguided strategies: these are issues that claim much of a leader’s time. But this parade of dysfunctions and messy “people” problems actually points to an organization confused about its core business, torn between competing ideas about what it is and wants to be—an organization facing an identity crisis. Strategy and leadership expert Chatham Sullivan argues that when the purpose of a business becomes confused, it is the leaders’ responsibility to restore clarity, especially in the face of tough strategic choices that have political, personal, and cultural consequences for the organization. Sullivan shows leaders how to take the decisive stand that clarifies their organization’s core purpose. Featuring compelling stories of leaders who have succumbed to and successfully resolved their organizations’ identity crises, __The Clarity Principle__ bridges the gap between leadership and strategy and demonstrates the tremendous gains to be achieved by leaders willing to make tough choices. Proxy wars The murky middle Neither fish nor fowl The shadow side of strategy Taking a stand The hunger for purpose.