The Limits of a Smart Action Orientation

Many functional smart leaders are challenged to act authentically and appropriately because they generally focus more on doing things “the right way” rather than doing “what is right.” Risk averse by nature, they prefer to play by the book by following predetermined processes or their own proven best practices. Such action orientation serves them well when the goal is to optimize the performance of an existing system or function—say, a sales department that has been selling the same products for the past twenty years.

But these leaders are at a loss when the external context changes and the playbook itself needs to be updated or even replaced. Due to their static notion of what is appropriate, they can’t dynamically adapt their actions to reflect what is appropriate across different contexts. Also, because they are more focused on what is appropriate in the short term, like meeting the numbers in the following quarter, they may not address issues or pursue opportunities that are appropriate for their own or their organization’s long-term success. Similarly, they struggle with authenticity: sometimes they may feel or intuitively know what is the right thing to do but can’t muster courage to actually do it; instead, they revert to their habit of doing things in what they think is the “right way.”

Business smart leaders tend to grapple with their own set of challenges when it comes to acting authentically and appropriately. Because they are impulsive by nature, their emotions—especially emotions that come up around their innate need to always feel successful—dictate how they choose to act rather than what is objectively appropriate in a particular situation. Intense and laser focused, they tend to do whatever it takes to get the job done and obtain what they want. But this end-justifies-all-means perspective could lead them to act inappropriately and even engage in questionable practices. Quick thinkers and actors, they can swiftly pick up changes in the external context and adjust their actions accordingly, but they may not bother communicating their abrupt course corrections to their teams or organizations, leaving them frustrated. Although they are authentic to themselves—by aligning their own actions with their perspectives—they may not always be genuine in expressing their true feelings and thoughts to others. They could be too proud to acknowledge the contribution their collaborators made to a project, let alone credit them for the project’s success.