Leadership by Urgency or Incrementalism?

Every organization has seasons where different leadership styles are more effective. There are times where the organizational culture resists change significantly. An aggressive change leader can become alienated or fired quickly. Indeed the entire organization may implode if change is pushed too quickly. These are times when leadership by incrementalism (what I have coined as “eating the elephant”) is in order.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is leadership by urgency. The leader recognizes that the organization may not survive the years ahead unless dramatic changes are made. There is really no option to move slowly. There is growing evidence of more leaders moving in this direction in these changing and disruptive times in which we live. Read more