Dr. Earl R. Smith II

Dr. Earl R. Smith II
DrSmith@Dr-Smith.com
www.Dr-Smith.com

Task oriented directors are very focused and committed to reaching the goals and objectives set out in the corporate strategic plan. These directors are very detailed oriented in defining the steps necessary for corporate management to undertake to reach their objective. Boards need task oriented members to function at very high levels with a tight focus on the goal.

Task oriented directors will have very deep technical skills and a very high-energy work pace. They will possess the skills and attributes they are expecting in others on their team. Task oriented individuals will be highly motivated and driven to achieve and will strive to instill their team with the same level of enthusiasm for the task.

Task oriented directors will create excitement and positive action directed at solving or achieving their mission. Their focus on the mission will allow few things to distract their attention. Any one questioning their activities will encounter opposition. The task oriented director will seem single-minded in their efforts until they have achieved their goal.

Task oriented directors are capable of managing several strategies at once, however they will tend to line each strategy up and ensure none of the activities are counter-productive to the others they are engaged in. Task oriented directors will likely expect corporate management to devise methods for training and motivation, leaving the director to follow-up on results and attainment levels.

Task oriented directors are assertive and prone to take action. Once a direction is set, task oriented directors take up the challenge with little thought for failure. Innovation is an attribute of this leadership style and essential in corporate management as long as the innovation moves the corporate strategy forward. Task oriented director’s often foster risk-taking in corporate management, stemming from the director’s enthusiasm for accomplishment.

Risk taking and innovation are often tools young corporations use to over-take competition. Innovation is a growth tool, and directors inspiring innovation in their company often cause their company to leap frog competitors. Task oriented directors must always be reminded of the need to allow corporate management to fail when taking risks to reach the goals set by the board. The task-oriented director is likely to push their team hard to perform at their peak level. This leadership style is often autocratic and blind to forces working against the directors objectives.

Directors that are task oriented excel at special projects and are always looking for the next challenge. Companies in a fast-growth phase benefit from directors with a tight focus on one aspect of the business. Companies that have reached the pinnacle of their industry need task oriented directors to encourage innovation and to push the company to new levels of performance.

Succession committees and Nominating committees should understand the focus task oriented directors bring to the board of directors. All directors are leaders and have their own leadership style. The Succession committee and the Nominating committee must understand the balance needed on the board to achieve the composition best suited to resolve the issues the board will likely face.

Members of the Succession committee and Nominating committee must have a thorough understanding of the board’s vision and strategy. Members must also have a sense of direction and an understanding of the business cycle of the company and industry. In searching for new leadership, whether replacing board members or replacing the CEO, members must look at the needs of the company as the first criteria. New board members will change the way the board works to enhance the shareholder’s investment. The committee’s job is to ensure the change will be for the best interest of the corporation.

© Dr. Earl R. Smith II

Related Articles:

• Inspirational Governance
• New Board Member Selection
• Good Governance – Balancing Eight Key Factors
• Good Governance – Board Member Selection Criteria
• Board Diversity – A Subtle Challenge
• Successful Board Assessment Models

Dr. Smith is a proven senior executive, successful entrepreneur, published author and public speaker. He serves on boards of directors and advisory boards or as a strategic adviser to CEOs. Dr. Smith specializes in turnaround management, strategic planning, leadership development and executive coaching. He also works as an executive and/or life coach in the areas of personal growth and spirituality. He is the author of Amazing Pace: Turbo-charged Business Development – a book that shows how Advisory Boards can dramatically increase revenue. Dr. Smith is also the author of Dream Walk: Parables for the Living – a book of Raven Tales and exploration.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 4:28 PM and is filed under Governance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.