In a post by Future Lab, John Caddell reviews a book “Senior Leadership Teams” that advises new leaders who have taken over established teams not to feel obligated to keep that team intact. Maria Theresa learned this lesson the hard way. She took over the Hapsburg dynasty when her father passed away. She was the first woman in over 600 years to rule this empire. Her father had to change the laws in order to give her the right to rule because until now women were not allowed to be in charge. Soon after her father died, other royals from Europe declared war against Austria, made claims to the throne and questioned her right to take over the dynasty. Her father had not prepared her to rule because he had been struggling with the fact that she was a woman. She inherited his leadership team, an indecisive group that was out of touch with current issues. At first she left this team intact. In time, she realized the need to make changes with better leaders and replaced a number of her father’s established team.
I’m not too fond of Maria Theresa because she was driven by revenge throughout most of her life and did not believe in cultural diversity as it relates to freedom of religious worship. Despite how I feel about her, she displayed a great ability to select the right advisers who helped her preserve her rights and the well being of the Austrian-Hungarian empire. This ability is one of the most essential of the top leader. A leader by herself can’t be effective in running an organization. Without the right leadership team a venture is doomed to failure. There are experts who advise investors in picking a B product with an A+ leadership team versus an A product with a B+ leadership team. A good leadership team can make an organization prosper even without the best product or service that is available. Maria Theresa picked an A+ leadership team which provided her with great advise throughout her long reign. Her empire was not unified when she took over. The treasury was broke and the army neglected.
Some of her accomplishments include:
- She initiated financial reforms that made her country solvent.
- Educational reforms included mandatory education.
- Promoted commerce and development of agriculture.
- Reorganized and strengthened the army.
- Developed strong alliances throughout Europe that expanded and ensured the well being of her empire.
- The Hapsburg dynasty ruled another 140 years after her death.
Your insights and Thoughts
- How and when would you replace a leadership team that is not in the best interest of the organization?
- Does loyalty play a role in the decision?
