Country needs Surgeon Leaders at all levels.

In 1993, I published my book: "Risktakers, Caretakers, Surgeons, Undertakers- the four faces of strategic leadership" because I had concluded that one of the major reasons companies, organizations and government's failed was because they had the wrong type of leader. The underlying premise is that leaders had to fit the life cycle of the organization and its strategic drivers. (Drivers are those areas that provide the organization with a sustainable competitive advantage, such as innovative products, unique sales and marketing skills, ability to have lower costs and so on.)

For instance, if an organization is a "start up venture" and trying to grow aggressively by product or service innovation, it requires a leader that is a missionary, highly intuitive, willing to adapt and betting their career on this new venture. I call this type of a leader, a risktaker. However, when the organization requires more management and selectivity, a "caretaker" leader is required. When the organization is sick it requires the skills of a Surgeon leader who is able to not only save the patient but make the organization healthy for the long term.. Undertakers were rare at the time that I wrote the book , but in recent months have multipled in number and appear to be the most typical type of today's leaders. Undertaker leaders are the individuals who are able to walk away and not worry about the future of the organizations. In many American companies, today...the undertakers walk away with hundreds of millions, never look back and their companies either are merged or sold in pieces, leaving the other employees without jobs and sometimes without pensions.

The United States Presidents have been primarily risktaker and caretaker leaders, but the country now needs "skilled SURGEON leaders" in both the executive and legislative bodies, who can do preventive surgery and permit the country to live within its "means" and not become so overweight and ill that it requires "emergency surgery in the intensive care ward".

My next few blogs will discuss the type of leaders required and the actions required to permit these leader to succeed.

Bill Rothschild
Author of "The Secret to GE's Success" and "Risktaker, Caretaker, Surgeon, Undertaker- the four faces of strategic leadership" Available on AMAZON and on www.strategyleader.com.