“We have to act. But first we need consensus.”
We hear that sentence, let’s say, not infrequently.
On advisory boards. In management teams. In mid-sized companies.
The problem: while everyone waits for consensus, the competition overtakes them.
Many mid-sized companies don’t suffer from bad strategy. Just like large corporations, they suffer from politics, fragmentation and decision gridlock. And that can be fixed.
Two key levers
1. The right leader
Replacing the CEO, CFO, COO and so on won’t solve structural problems on its own. But the right person makes the difference.
What matters?
Professional depth plus strategic foresight
No more generalists who just consume PowerPoint. Instead, a deep understanding of product and market.
Example: a mid-sized engineering company appointed a CEO with a technical background, and decisions got 40 % faster, because he didn’t need five layers of explanation to understand a product issue.
Decisiveness rather than compromise
Wanted: doers, not politicians. You may laugh, we’ve heard that sooo often. But it keeps coming up: candidates who don’t avoid conflict but use it constructively. Who give clear mandates and clear blockages.
HR as a strategic partner (much talked about, but our experience is often different; we’ve just seen it again on a mandate)
Out of the admin trap and into data skills and a real business partner role: steering talent flows proactively instead of just filling vacancies.
2. Changing the culture
Structural paralysis isn’t fate. It’s the result of outdated systems.
A) Breaking down silos
Introduce cross-functional teams.
Measure performance against company-wide KPIs (such as customer retention or innovation), not departmental budgets.
B) Taking the politics out
Create clear roles by setting an example, not through endless RACI matrices.
Delegate decision-making authority.
Treat conflict as an opportunity rather than something to avoid.
C) Balancing the numbers with customer focus
Don’t just measure quarterly targets; track customer net promoter score and employee engagement too.
Before the search: diagnosis before treatment
Before you change anything, you need to know where you stand:
• Organisation check: where are the biggest blockages?
• Bottom-up leadership assessment: how does management behave in a crisis?
Often, clear communication rules or a few piloted (not politicised) agile teams are enough to get things moving.
Conclusion: paralysis isn’t permanent
The biggest danger doesn’t lie in external crises, but in self-made blockages.
And every cause of paralysis can be fixed, with the right mix of leadership, culture and structure.
My question to you:
which of your candidates for promotion or hire have already integrated fragmented systems or untangled politicised decision-making? Do you test for that in interviews?
