Many management theorists have observed that organizations have a lifecycle and go through very predictable and repetitive patterns of behavior as they grow and develop. Among the most prominent of these is Dr.Ichak Adizes, whose principles inform the Leadership Dialogues approach to organizational leadership. (www.adizesusa.com).

Dr. Adizes notes that leading an organization through lifecycle transitions is not easy or obvious. The strategies that help a company succeed at one phase can lead to premature aging and stifled growth in another. The challenges that arise are the natural result of change and growth. The real issue is knowing the difference between normal and abnormal problems of a company’s particular lifecycle phase. Many normal problems can be left alone since they will eventually resolve themselves during the course of natural development. Abnormal problems need to be addressed quickly to keep a company on its road to prime.

If leadership teams know how to assess the issues they face now and anticipate the road ahead there is a tremendous saving of time and effort. During all ten phases of the lifecycle there is an important balance that needs to be maintained among the four key roles that keep an organization successful in both the long and short run.