Do Leaders have a shelf life?

Reading the sports pages of the papers recently, I read of recent managerial casualties in the world of football.

Any appointment has an element of risk…It happens in business, as well as in sport. The incumbent has all of the credentials, and despite all of the due diligence prior to the appointment, the fit is not quite right.

Football in the modern world offers little opportunity for Managers to settle in. Results are expected immediately. Business tends to be more kind.

The interesting point is of Managers that bring success to the Club…Trophies won! Where does the shelf life kick in? While some Managers may leave for a perceived better opportunity, some who initially brought success, find that a poor run of form lead to another management casualty.

The question? Where does it go wrong? For some, there is the “honeymoon period”. A change of face, a quick impact and different ideas. The period only lasts so long.

Can the personality, the voice, the ideas eventually lose its focus…new ideas are required…maybe just a fresh face? Players come and players go…Natural turnover…The same too, in business. Is a degree of turnover necessary to freshen things up?

When I worked in business, it was common for the senior team to have moves…to bring in fresh ideas to their teams and areas of responsibility.

Can anyone remain fresh and vibrant for ever? Or is change needed to keep people on their toes?

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

Leo Tolstoy