The Good Struggle

The role of leader has become particularly demanding. Leaders today must constantly struggle with an increasingly elusive environment, coloring every decision with a fundamental doubt: What if events prove me wrong? This relatively brief handbook is a reflection guide for leaders that aims to help them take a step back and gain perspective on the conditions for exercising productive leadership in an uncertain environment. Analysis is supported by an observation and a warning. The observation is that the factors determining the success of a business are no longer those which prevailed in the twentieth century. The warning is to beware of popular conceptions of leadership! Indeed, this image is based on success factors that no longer exist.

On this foundation, the book is constructed around five important questions that the author suggests we ask ourselves to guide our initiatives, starting with, “Have I really grasped the fundamentals?” Indeed, the world is complex, and we may pay dearly if we try to manage this complexity with overly rigid or black-and-white convictions. “For what am I really responsible?” is an essential question to establish priorities; for when faced with the many demands of our environment, we must choose our battles carefully. “How to make key decisions?” invites us to reconsider what is important—i.e., what is a strategic decision?—and the criteria for making good decisions. “What should our values be?” puts perspective on traditionally stated corporate values to encourage us to focus on a few key fundamentals. Finally, “Why did I choose this life?” could almost be a joke aimed at destabilizing ambitious readers, but proves to be the starting point for useful thinking on giving meaning to one’s personal investment.

A thought piece resolutely oriented toward supporting action!