November 2022
Technical Note
HBS Case Collection

Leader Action Orientations

By: Ryan Raffaelli, Akshaya Varghese and Laura Weimer

Format:Print
| Language:English
| Pages:9

Abstract

Leaders are responsible for planning and executing actions that advance organizational goals. As individuals gain career experience, they tend to develop and rely on implicit mental models that shape how they go about “getting things done.” Without knowing it, most people develop a primary action orientation—analytical, contextual, or relational—that informs their mental map for action. Action orientations can be useful because they inform how you develop a plan, determine where to focus your time and attention, and when to enlist the help of others. However, an overreliance on any one orientation can lead to poor action plans that may derail your ability to execute (especially when operating in a new role or an unfamiliar situation).