Case Study: Strategic Transformation
Strategic transformation sounds like a wonderful experience.
In reality, some of the greatest opportunities for strategic transformation exist entangled or buried in circumstances that few CEOs would knowingly take on. Far from an imagined walk upon clouds of approval and recognition, true transformation can be a painful and confronting journey. When Gordon was asked to come on board and lead market scapegoat Remco, his initial instinct was to turn away. The company itself was clearly over extended and troubled. As a further deterrent, it operated in a sector that was suffering from a general malaise in world demand for its products. But on balance, he had previously achieved successes finding undiscovered and exceptional value in his previous companies, and curiosity and the desire to take on a worthwhile challenge spurred him to say yes.
Gordon's confidence and determination to take on the challenge was heightened by having experienced previous positive transformations with Zaffyre to guide him. To take full advantage of the opportunities that he believed Remco presented - and to brace himself for the resistance and even attacks that he would encounter from disbelievers, both outside the company and within - he would need to share his vision of Remco's possible future and gain the most powerful support possible. He knew that this powerful support could be available from his Board, and from his executive team, and indeed from the whole of his organisation. He also knew that he need skilled and unusual help to overcome their fears, win their trust, wipe away their disempowering beliefs, and raise their potential for breakthrough. To comprehensively succeed in this challenging task, he knew he needed Zaffyre again, in a more extensive and more sustained way than he had experienced them before.
Most leaders would have considered it a job well done to avert absolute disaster given the company's starting position. To have come through the crisis with some shred of dignity and self respect, eventually leading a quiet life on a smaller, safer scale for all concerned, would have been considered a minor miracle by most. However, Gordon saw that this would be a severe discounting of Remco's true potential. He therefore set out to transform all of Remco's stakeholders, to get them to adopt the new vision and to take up their part of the challenge to make it happen. The world was Remco's stage, and Gordon was going to lead them on to it, in a way that had never been done before - breaking through to a new paradigm that was previously unimagined in their industry, and yet blinding obvious and desirable once it was conceived - a way that delivered greater value to all stakeholders and enriched them all in numerous ways.
The journey has been committed and ongoing - Remco and its CEO have been working with Zaffyre for over five and a half years. Together they gave gone from strength to strength and set and achieved strategic goals for breakthrough after breakthrough. In terms of what is obvious to the outside world, Remco has gone from consolidating and repackaging debt for survival to achieving astounding profits and racking up exceptional performance on the stock market.
Remco Board members, executives, and managers have gone from a mentality of crisis intervention, through ascending stage after stage of outstanding performance, to a deepening confidence in their ability to extend and share their transformation with others in their industry throughout the world. How much farther can they go? With Zaffyre with them on the journey, they believe that they will continue to see their way around, through, and over all apparent obstacles and take their business and their purpose to new and higher ground.
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