THE POWER OF INTEGRATION

Most of us have heard the leadership analogy of getting the 'bus' facing in the right direction, the right people on the bus (the wrong people off the bus), and the right people in the right seats on the bus. But if the people on the bus aren't talking (and talking about the right things), there will still be a significant gap between leadership expectations, execution and results. In Playing to Win, A.G. Lafley (former Proctor and Gamble CEO) and Roger L. Martin (Dean of Rotman School of Management), observe that the most effective strategy is an integrated set of choices (what people in the organization spend time on and what they pay attention to across various functions and departments). Alignment, while critically important, is a necessary but insufficient component of organizational excellence. Two analogies are helpful to leaders in understanding the importance of alignment and integration. First, every driver knows that when car (truck, van, etc.) wheels are out of alignment the vehicle will drift to the right or left and often the vehicle occupants may be in for a bumpy ride. But imagine a scenario where the wheels are in alignment but not appropriately connected to the steering column. Since car wheels, hubs, axles, and the steering column are connected through an integrated system of suspension, steering linkage, and drive components - if not connected properly at each of these critical points - the car won't move in the direction steered. Second, our bodies need organs (heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.) to be aligned (in the right place), but without the integrated system of blood vessels to connect them, neither the parts nor the body as a whole will function effectively. Position is the key to alignment; connection is the key to integration. Effective leadership requires both alignment and integration. #LeadWithIntegration

Image by fabrikasimf on Freepik