Leaders have to be prepared, as Joe Liemandt was, to say they will not push growth beyond the capacity of people to deliver the quality that customers demand. You cannot set high growth targets and then simply wish for the best. It is possible to buy growth through mergers and acquisitions, as we have seen in recent years. But that strategy, too, has its limits. They still have to grow their own organizations.
Real growth requires a behavioral shift that permeates the organization.
A one-dimensional obsession with growth also takes a toll on the quality of life for workers, their families, and communities. To sustain any institution into the 21st century, leaders must balance many competing interests, and must expand their view of the organization's role in society. Role of Leadership To add value to your assets, you need a vision of where you're taking the institution and a strategy for getting there. You have to paint a clear picture of your destination and the route. That may require a total transformation of the organization, especially when past practices and assumptions forestall growth.