Used to be that the worst thing leaders could do was lie. Today, it seems, the worst thing they can do is change their minds. No idea has gained greater currency in the past year (Bush-Kerry) than flip-flopping as the ultimate failure of leadership.
Rod Kramer, Stanford Graduate School of Business, labeled that idea as worse than worrisome in a snappy one-pager in “The Harvard Business Review” earlier this year.
“Flip-flopping,” Kramer said, “is not the same thing as indecision. Rather, it means altering a course after a choice has been made. Changing course is simply the right move in some circumstances.
“On occasion, an unexpected flip can set the stage for great achievement by dramatically recasting an issue.”
Kramer’s quote is on my office wall; it certainly should serve as food for thought for any manager.
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