Harvard Business Manager – Entering Uncharted Territory: How Does a CEO Drive Transformation?

How can a company be reinvented successfully? Kati Schütte, Global CEO Practice Leader at Egon Zehnder, looks at this question in a case study appearing in the latest Harvard Business Manager, the German edition of the Harvard Business Review. Sena Aslan is the CEO of a bank which finds itself in the midst of a transformation process. Many of its executives are asking themselves if the pace of change is too fast. Kati Schütte argues that they should keep up the pace, but she also has some clear advice for the CEO: “She [Sena Aslan] is trying to fly this mission solo. The main problem is that Aslan has omitted to surround herself with strong leaders who, like her, are committed and passionate about creating something new.” When it comes to fostering talent and rolling out a new strategy, Kati Schütte explains the importance of not just being an “engine of change” oneself, but also identifying “many strong engines of change across the organization.” Another essential factor is communicating a shared sense of purpose: “Sena Aslan has to link her strategy to a higher purpose which employees in the bank can understand, which people are willing to champion and embrace as their own.”

Full story: Paul Healy: Wie viel Zeit braucht Veränderung? (How Long Does it Take to Change?), a case study in Harvard Business Manager, April 2017, pp. 92-98 (for purchase – in German only).