BLENDED FROM GOOD TO GREAT
Leadership4you highly at doing things right ( above 75th percentile ), but not doing things fast ( below 75th percentile ), had only a 3 % probability of being in that top decile category . But now for the unexpected kicker : Leaders who were rated highly at doing things fast and right ( top quartile on both ) had a 96 % probability of being an extraordinary leader . Speed alone is of little advantage . Work must be accurate . It was this combination of doing things fast and right that created the magic .
How Speed And Quality Differ Speed and quality are both important , but they are different . We are emphasizing the importance of speed and spending less time talking about quality . Why ? Because we see quality as akin to an ‘ on and off ’ switch . You either have it or you don ’ t . If you have the required quality to satisfy a customer ’ s requirements and expectations , then doing a lot more often doesn ’ t create more value . Speed , on the other hand , is a rheostat . It can be turned up to a higher and higher level and so long as quality is not compromised , it continues to produce ever increasing value for the firm . We think increasing speed is something the huge majority can do .
Accelerating Pace If you want to truly understand how to increase pace without comprising quality , then you need to learn from those leaders who do it best . The research from Zenger Folkman ’ s database on more than 75,000 leaders shows many different successful approaches to improving leadership speed . Here are some tactics every leader can use :
1 . Accelerate interactions . Life in organizations involves one-on-one interactions with colleagues . In fact , many of those interactions take longer than needed . Without being obnoxious or rude , you can move those along to a good conclusion . It is estimated that 15 % of the typical employees work-week is spent in meetings . But does every meeting need to take an hour ?
9