Page 39 - MS Year in Review 2020

“SIGNATURE” OF A LEADERSHIP MOLECULE’S

EXISTENCE

A “marker” or signature of the existence of such a molecule is typically (but not
always) that an organization has assigned a “nickname” or label to the molecule,

such as:

 “H2O” and “H2O2 (at Starbucks)
 “The three Musketeers,” (at PacifiCare)

 Batman and Robin (Steve Jobs and John Scully at Apple),
 “The Troika” (at Google)

Also where the molecule is seen as negative, dysfunctional or even toxic by the

organization at large, it can receive a nickname with negative connotations or
overtones, such as:

 “Gang of Four,” and
 “The Ghost and the Darkness:” (Dyad)

The absence so a nickname is not conclusive evidence that a molecule does not

exist, but it is suggestive. However, the nickname is a “marker” or “DNA” signature
for a true leadership molecule (team).

THE VALUE OF A LEADERSHIP MOLECULE

My published empirical research has indicated that any organization that has a
Leadership Molecule™ possesses a valuable if intangible asset. Specifically, I was

invited by Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in China to participate in their
CEO leadership program, and coach CEOs of forty leading Chinese companies for
one year. As part of that program, I designed a survey to assess the extent to

which a Leadership Molecule™ existed in companies, and empirically studied the
extent to which the existence of the Leadership Molecule™ was associated with

varying degrees of Organizational Development, using measures that have been

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