No matter your position or the organisational function you operate in, there are massive benefits in learning to lead alongside. I wrote about the concept in my blog last week with risk advisers as the primary audience. I’ll continue with their role to demonstrate the benefits for all advisers.
Leading Alongside
Like other functional areas, risk advisers are seeking to influence decision makers. For the risk function it is about helping the business with risk thinking. The risk management process is the best tool known to humankind for managing uncertainty. Being experts in the process, the role of risk professionals is to help business leaders to develop and adopt risk-based thinking.
When the risk team is leading alongside, it is all about decision support. The risk function is not seen as a threat or simply creators of red tape. They are valuable advisers to help navigate in an uncertain world.
What’s in it for the business?
In this context, the role of business is risk taking. However, the business needs to take risk with “eyes wide open”. Meaning decision makers and their stakeholders are aware of the risk they are taking, and why, and are as comfortable or uncomfortable as they want to be.
When the risk function is leading alongside business leaders, those leaders and they alone are accountable for the decisions made. They can make decisions faster, knowing they have full responsibility AND knowing they have a valued risk partner by their side.
In a nutshell, when you work up enough trust with business leaders to be able to lead alongside, your advice is sought not resisted. The result is better decisions and better outcomes.
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Bryan's new book teaches you practical methods to cut through with your advice and make the impact you want to make. Available on Amazon or order here now.
YOUR DECISIONS DEFINE YOU.
Available on Amazon or order here now.
Bryan Whitefield works with strategic leaders across all sectors to help organisations harness uncertainty – uncertainty is the strategic leader’s best friend. He is the author of DECIDE: How to Manage the Risk in Your Decision Making and Winning Conversations: How to turn red tape into blue ribbon. He is the designer of the Risk Culture: Build Your Tribe of Advocates Program for support functions and the Persuasive Adviser Program for internal advisers. Both can be booked individually or in-house. For more information about Bryan, please click here.
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