I posted on the Association Renewal blog about an HBR article about “Act II Leadership” because it’s about making change BEFORE things have gone completely downhill, a critical capacity in strategy making that too many organizations don’t have. But I failed to capture a great quote that almost gets lost in the article, since Nadler doesn’t expand up on it, but it’s important and focuses on important leadership “competencies.” Nadler points out in the article that there are four responses to an Act II leadership challenge. One is to ignore it, and the other three involve changing yourself or the organization.
And all but the first require a power of observation, a propensity for introspection, and a strain of humility that are, in truth, quite rare in the ranks of the very people who need those qualities most.
Ouch.