Clutch Leadership

Today’s organizational leaders contend with a considerable array of potentially profound disruptive forces. Emerging information management and creation tools like AI and robotics, in conjunction with economic swings, global manufacturing shifts, and political instabilities, are creating immeasurable effects on business strategies and leadership practices. Transforming short-term challenges into long-term opportunities requires rising to the occasion, or what we call "clutch leadership." We believe that all leaders have it in them to be "clutch leaders!" Such is the thrust of this book.

Clutch leaders have the skills to manage disruptions, break down silos, and align people around a compelling vision of success that represents a shift from "strategic fit" (matching resources and capabilities with opportunities) to "strategic stretch" (leveraging industry positioning to create competitive advantage). They create a productive and motivating sense of urgency and high aspiration in the organization during times of increased stakes. Clutch leaders build consensus in support of high-stakes decisions and model the way with a combination of confidence, capability, and conviction. Focusing on impact during disruptive times enables clutch leaders to harness the full potential of organizational resources beyond strategic fit, even if it requires a temporary push of skills and behaviors to extremes or taking on additional risks and opportunities (strategic stretch).

What makes clutch leadership unique is the focus on "temporary imbalance" – the suspension of trade-offs between staying in the comfort zone versus playing to one’s tried and true strengths – until the gap is closed or until the new vision and reality are realigned through innovation and leverage. Clutch leaders’ distinctive ability to balance high-stress, big picture thinking with composure, agility, attention to detail, and strong logical reasoning with communication skills and empathy allows them to navigate fast-paced, challenging situations quickly and successfully.

Numerous case studies are also included to illustrate innovative leadership techniques and applications.