Saturday, December 28, 2024

Integrity and Flexibility Key Traits for Effective Executive Leadership

If you have been in the business world for a while or moved between different companies, you are likely to come across a few exceptional and a few terrible managers. I could relate story after story of good and bad bosses. For example, there was one who would take credit for your work and seek to advantage him/herself whenever they could. That would be a boss that lacked integrity. There was also only one way to do something and usually it was wrong so there was little flexibility.  After a while that boss popped their own bubble. 

Did they learn?...nope...moved onto somewhere else and likely had the same issue after a few years because while sometimes you can learn other times its part of a person’s personality. 

Well, if we know someone who lacks integrity isn't likely a good boss and not particularly that good for an organization. Short and long term gains are a little different. I included this little older study because I feel that it provides two fundamental things that executives can work on. 

Researchers surveyed a number of employees from different organizational levels found that integrity and flexibility are highly important for effectiveness (Hooijberg & Lane, 2010).

1.)   Integrity is about honesty and doing what you say you are going to do. People want to trust what you have to say, and this is important in business, politics and society at large. 

2.) Flexibility is a sign that someone understand others and will work with them. Such executives seem to focus more on the long-term goal achievement and not the short-term chaos related issues. 

You may read the study....

Leader effectiveness and integrity: Wishful thinking?


Hooijberg, Robert & Lane, Nancy. (2010). Leader effectiveness and integrity: Wishful thinking?. International Journal of Organizational Analysis. 18. 10.1108/19348831011033212. 

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