ABSTRACT
If you want to lead, Hamlet, you don’t have a choice. To be or not to be? To do or not to do? In our work, we have watched leaders struggle with this choice. And some have successfully waited on the sidelines for “strategic direction from above” and then “led their people to flawlessly execute” on the received strategy. This, of course, was General McClellan’s approach during the American Civil War. While this tactic may have worked in the past, all we can say to those who attempt this today is, good luck. In a world where leaders were crucial linchpins in a downward flow of communications and strategies were set for long periods of time, this passive approach had an opportunity to succeed.
