If you are not growing, you are dying. It was one of the first few realizations as I embarked on my corporate journey. The ecosystem was designed in a manner that only the best succeed. What a clever idea!
However, as I progressed, I realized the burden of sustaining excellence. As I excelled at my role, I left many mediocrities behind. So what could go wrong with excellence?
A lot.
The closer you are to the top, the further you are away from the ground. Simply put, one needs to gain touch with ground realities. But, conversely, the further you are away from ground realities, the more decisions you make at the top begin to lean on idealistic models and less on complex realities.
As you go high, the ground-level problems become tiny, and you assume there are no problems. As you scoff and dismiss, some of the most significant projects fail to address minor issues.
The Boeing 747 has six million parts. Forty thousand rivets on one wing. If one of those rivets is damaged, it could risk the lives of four hundred and sixteen passengers.
Many intelligent minds in big sea-facing glass cabins strategize about the future of technology and come up with a profound philosophy for the rest of their ecosystems to follow and execute.
However, when that message reaches the street, it has a different meaning and connotation. The ground staff needs to relate as the reality differs from the company's macro vision.
Who is bridging the gap? Who is responsible for relating the macro vision to the micro reality of the workforce? More than merely announcing a new corporate strategy or repeating what you heard at the strategy meeting is required.
The harmonious function of these small parts makes the whole engine work. As a leader, your job is to show how it works for the micro level. Whether through a training program, road show, clinic calls, debriefing sessions, or even career counseling, it is your job as a leader to land the macro vision, whatever it takes.
Enable the micro to maximize the impact of the macro.
Building a team is complex, but pushing an ecosystem is enormous. Take care of the individual contributor, the lone rep on the street, and the partner team in a tier 2 city! No amount of penalty will drive them. Instead, reward with the tools and path to success; you will find that the eagle has landed.
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