Companies Run They Way They Are Led

May 17, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MONTREAL (17 MAY 2010) - BP's Gulf of Mexico oil disaster and the wave of losses and government scrutiny that have washed over Wall Street in the last year and a half have something in common. Both situations demonstrate how the leaders of these companies - BP, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, and others - have been ultimately responsible for the creation and encouragement of a culture of risky behaviour without accountability.

As one of my NCOs used to say when I was in the army, "A unit runs the way the commander wants it to be run." We therefore shouldn't be surprised by the lack of ethics and "cowboy" mentality prevalent in some companies. The senior leadership of many, if not most, of these businesses has given license to key employees to behave in that way. If you expect and encourage needlessly risky behaviour, then you shouldn't be surprised when that's what you get. This is the antithesis of true entrepreneurship, which involves people that are risking their own capital and their own hide, but who are much more responsible in taking prudent risks, ones that can be justified to themselves, their families, their partners and their employees.

Richard Martin is founder and president of Alcera Consulting Inc. He brings his military and business leadership experience to bear for executives and organizations seeking to exploit change, maximize opportunity, and minimize risk.

For more information contact:
Richard Martin
Phone: 514.453.3993

Click here to view our Sources Listing:

Richard Martin

Topics:

• Business Continuity
• Change Management
• Coaching
• Consultants/Consulting
• Crisis Management
• Emergency Management
• Leadership
• Leadership Coaching
• Leadership Development
• Marketing
• Performance Improvement
• Planning
• Risk
• Risk Analysis
• Risk Assessment
• Risk Management
• Strategy