Are the days of the stand-alone chief executive numbered, asks the Austrian daily
Der Standard? The results of a
recent survey of 848 executives worldwide conducted by Egon Zehnder International suggest that they may be. Effective teamwork is a necessity in today's global economy, but poses a major challenge, especially for top executives, reveals the study. Moreover, 60 percent of participants reported that although good teams can perform exceptionally, teams just as often fail to get results too. "There is a great deal of ambivalence as far as this issue is concerned," notes Philipp Harmer, head of Egon Zehnder International Austria.
While the effectiveness of executive teams is widely recognized as a critical success factor, there is nevertheless, "a longing for strong strategists and decision-makers," explains Harmer. Indeed, 80 percent of participants say that teams cannot manage themselves and very few believe that a strong leader destroys team spirit. To encourage more effective team work, companies need to improve their recognition of the contributions made by individual members. According to the survey, over 40 percent of executives feel that their team skills play no part in the assessment of their personal performance.
