In Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures (published by Quorum Books), Stanley D. Truskie suggests that “there is a direct link between leadership, organizational culture, and performance.” According to his research and analysis, the most effective leader has an impact on “forming the culture of an organization, which further can have an enhancing effect of improving the level, ensuring the consistency, and sustaining the organization’s continuing performance improvement.”  Truskie believes that many leaders are preoccupied with identifying and then manifesting an “ideal” style of leadership when, in fact, no such style exists. That is to say, even the most effective leaders have significant human imperfections; however, they are aware of these imperfections and make every effort to ensure that these imperfections do not have a negative impact on their respective organizations. 

Exceptional leaders have an organizational leadership strategy: “a guiding plan that creates an internal environment; a culture that is healthy, balanced, and adaptive.” The ultimate organizational objective is to achieve superior, long-term performance. Truskie’s own objective is to formulate a model that enables any organization to achieve that objective by developing the effective leaders it needs.

In Chapter 2, he introduces what he has named the L4 Strategy. This concept provides a framework and some principles to help clarify and guide one’s thinking in addressing important and complex leadership issues and challenges. With meticulous care, reiterating key points along the way, Truskie explains how the L4 Strategy gives clarity and direction to establishing organization direction, and, to developing organizational effectiveness. There are four “cultural patterns” which, according to Truskie, the effective leader must set or re-set in proper balance within her or his organization: The Cooperation Culture, The Inspiration Culture, The Achievement Culture, and The Consistent Culture.

Here is a key point: Because the needs of a given organization change, sometimes dramatically and often unexpectedly, the effective leader must be prepared to adjust the balance of the four “cultural patterns.” When there are only moderate out-of-balance conditions, “rebalance initiatives” are needed. But when the conditions are severe, time is of the essence; therefore, counterbalance initiatives are needed. The L4 leader’s presence and style are critical to the success of either sets of initiatives. Truskie correctly notes that leadership must not be limited to that provided only by a CEO. Apparently agreeing with Noel Tichy’s analysis in The Leadership Engine, Truskie stresses the importance of developing leadership throughout the organization. Ideally, an organization will thus have a combination of leaders who, individually and in collaboration, implement both a directional leadership strategy and an organizational leadership strategy. 

On numerous occasions, Truskie cautions that there is no one “ideal” style, nor an infallible “model”, nor any single combination of leadership traits, characteristics and behaviors that are most appropriate to all organizations in all phases of their development. He urges his reader to absorb and digest the contents of Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures with care, of course, but also with some degree of critical detachment. Then, correlate his observations and suggestions with the specific circumstances of the reader’s own organization.

For this reader, one of the greatest benefits of Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures is Truskie’s explanation of the potential, beneficial implications of the L4 Strategy with specific relevance to creating and then sustaining a high-performance organizational culture. Leaders as well as those whom they lead must constantly monitor the balance of four aforementioned cultural patterns. Imbalances are inevitable. Although Truskie does not discuss it, he would probably agree that an early-warning system of some kind is highly desirable. The model he provides suggests various ways by which to recognize and then respond effectively to symptoms of such imbalances. For the foreseeable future, change will be the only constant. Given that reality, Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures can be of even greater value as all organizations (regardless of their size or nature) proceed into an otherwise uncertain future.

Order Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures here. 

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Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures 1999 Hardcover Edition	Leadership in High-Performance Organizational Cultures 1999 Hardcover Edition

 

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