Building Dubai in a Day: The Cost of Overnight Ambitions of Top Management
Jul 20, 2024
2 min read
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It’s a phenomenon many of us have witnessed or endured in our careers—new leadership enters with grand visions, a mission to overhaul, and a fire to leave a legacy. They arrive with sweeping statements like, “We’ll transform this organization!” But too often, this quest to “build Dubai in a day” leaves chaos in its wake, especially for the teams on the ground.
While ambition and change are necessary for growth, the unspoken cost is borne by those who must navigate these ambitious shifts—managers, mid-level employees, and frontline workers. These individuals are left juggling their regular work, unfinished legacy projects, and the sudden influx of new initiatives. What’s worse? The implication that all prior work was either subpar or irrelevant.
What Happens When Change Ignores Legacy?
Demoralization of Teams: Declaring existing work as “low-level” or “crap” undermines the morale of employees who poured years of effort into those projects. It sends a message that their contributions weren’t valued.
Operational Bottlenecks: Overhauling systems or launching large-scale projects without understanding current workflows creates disruption.
Burnout and Attrition: The pressure to meet overnight expectations without proper resourcing often leads to employee burnout. [ MOST IMPORTANT ]
A Better Way to Lead Change
If you’re stepping into a leadership role, here are ways to balance ambition with reality:
Respect the Past: Every system or project, no matter how flawed, was built with intent. Recognize and respect the foundation.
Engage with Ground Teams: Involve employees at all levels to understand the nuances of existing systems.
Pace the Transformation: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your organizational vision. Set realistic timelines and ensure teams have the bandwidth to execute effectively.
Acknowledge Wins, Big and Small: Build trust by celebrating past achievements before rolling out new initiatives.
Final Thoughts
Leadership is about creating a legacy, yes, but not at the cost of burning out those who carry your vision forward.