Skip to content

What we do
Clients
Team
Insights
Contact
Careers

What we do
Clients
Team
Insights
Contact
Careers

Follow us on :

The dilemma of a business unit manager

Business unit managers at multinationals often don’t have the time to bring vision to their department and renew the organization. Not surprisingly: they are under so much pressure that there is little room for strategic reflection.
The constant adrenaline rush that you experience as a business unit manager in a multinational makes it extra difficult to think about where the organization should be in five years. To develop a vision, you must use the full capacity of your brain. Under daily circumstances, you simply don’t have the time to put your feet up, stare ahead, and think long. This makes it impossible to really develop focus. To do this, you must first create the right conditions.

Step away from the hustle and bustle.
To be creative, you need a nurturing environment. That almost always means: escaping the hustle and bustle. Go to a location that is preferably far away, where people can’t disturb you, and where there is as little distraction as possible to escape into. Such a situation gives you the chance to come back to yourself. Because you can only develop a real vision if you go back to the source: yourself. To work on your joint future in a concentrated way, you must first remember what really excites you, what you really believe in, what really drives you. Real innovation requires authentic leadership.
Let go of your past.
You’ve been around for years, in a very specific market. You have a wealth of knowledge and experience. Now is the time to let go of all that baggage. Forget your own company, forget the history, forget the point where you are now. Let everything go and answer only this question honestly: if you could start your company again today, how would you do it? Would you want exactly the same products and services and the same organizational culture? Or would you do it differently? If you really think completely freely, where would you want to go?
Dare to face your dream.
You might surprise yourself with the vision that emerges from the answer to that question. If you’ve really gone to the core, you’re sketching an organization where people act from values they can stand behind, where they pursue desirable goals, where they really operate innovatively. You’re sketching the organization you really believe in, that you think deserves the future. It’s your “North Star”: the point on the horizon where you want to go. Maybe you feel a deep desire to realize that vision. To do what you feel is necessary, instead of doing what is asked of you. To follow your heart.
Focus on your “North Star.”
This is the most dangerous moment. This is the moment where you think: nice, such a dream, but it’s not real. Let’s be realistic. We’re already at this point. We can’t start over.

That attitude is the biggest pitfall on your path. Without dreams, there are no deeds. Therefore, hold on to your point on the horizon in your mind. Follow the path that leads to your “North Star”. That’s where you want to go. You just have to get there. Even if it takes years. Go for it.

Free yourself as a leader from old patterns, and connect with your essence, your authentic power so you can set a true course.
Have the courage to make radical choices Making clear choices also means stopping things. This takes courage. It can also be painful, especially if the organization is still making good money from activities that you know will end sooner or later. Remember: only by aiming all your arrows at your ultimate goal can you actually achieve it.

You want to make sure the foundation is in order first. You can’t build a house if the foundation is sinking. To make your vision succeed, you first want to chop up, dismantle, and clean up the rubble. Only then can you build a new foundation.
Make your mission collaboration-oriented
If you don’t want your vision to get bogged down, it’s important to share it with everyone. With a shared mission, you not only motivate your employees, but also bring peace and structure to your organization. If you ensure a logical sequence of events in the transformation, it will also take shape.

Moreover, if a mission statement is to work, it should not be more than one page long. Ideally, you want to be able to explain in a few sentences what you are aiming for. People should also immediately understand the message. This is an important test.
Put your heart into the company
You don’t want your shared future vision to be a project that people do on the side. You want them to be constantly involved, to connect with it. That means freeing up extra capacity and forming new teams. That means transforming all work to align it with the new strategy. That means constant attention to what you stand for. Only by consistently aiming for that point on the horizon will you get there together every day.

Make an appointment

More insights

Authentic Leadership for Senior Executives: How Bolster’s Executive Coaching Helped Janneke Hermes Set a New Course

Top leadership is top sport: Executive Coaching to strengthen your leadership style

How Great Leaders Drive Innovation

Nico de Jong CEO of Verstappen.com about Bolster

Being courageous: 5 Powerful ways to be more courageous

Determine strategy or develop your leadership? Do the Dream Agenda masterclass

Showing Slide 1 of 7

Courage
changes
all.

Fast to

Strategy & Execution
Leadership Development
Executive Coaching
Clients
Events
Team
Insights
Contact
Careers
Terms and Conditions

Address

Doelstraat 7
2011 XA Haarlem

Contact

office@teambolster.com
+31 23 200 0102

We've detected you might be speaking a different language. Do you want to change to:

Change Language

Close and do not switch language