Is wholesale banking facing the end of command and control leadership?

With remote working likely to become part of the new normal, our downloadable report explores whether wholesale banking leaders are ready to adapt their leadership styles.

Many banks have historically had a centralized, “command and control” leadership structure.

Whilst making the organization easier to control,  especially important after the Global Financial Crisis, this has not worked as well in a working-from-home environment. 

Banks have had to make decisions more quickly and efficiently and so looked to decentralize decisions. 

“This can make people uncomfortable as many decisions were too centralised before, managers were not used to making decisions.”

But just how comfortable are wholesale banking leaders in allowing decentralized leadership? And what does this mean for the leadership profiles of present leaders and those to come, if there is no complete return to an office environment?

Download our report now to explore this and a number of other important post-pandemic issues.

Agility, purpose and digitalisation

Register to download our "Agility, purpose and digitalisation: the state of global wholesale banking" report.

Download now

Leadership Success Profiles are changing

Even before the pandemic, our recent Global Leadership Confidence Research, conducted in partnership with Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, identified that only 15% of senior leaders were confident their leaders would manage through disruption.

Confidence in the CEO and key C-Suite positions was at least 15% below their critical importance to delivering sustainable success.

As leaders move from managing crises to resetting strategy and leading transformation of their organizations, our research points out what will determine the winners:

• In the crisis: driven, determined, courageous, decisive at speed
• As they reset strategy: visionary, curious, investigative, inclusive problem-solvers
• As they lead the organizational transformation: game changers, value creators, entrepreneurs, risk-takers

Global Banking Executive Search

Odgers Berndtson’s Global Banking Practice works with Corporate and Investment Banks around the world. Our deep industry and sector knowledge means we understand our clients’ strategic imperatives and how these impact on the senior leadership talent they need to attract and retain.

We forge deep relationships with our clients to ensure we understand their specific business goals and cultural dynamics, maximizing our ability to identify, assess, and engage the best industry or cross-industry talent.

Strong relationships with other Odgers Berndtson Partners in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia Pacific, North America, Middle East, and South Africa delivers a seamless regional and global execution of searches, assessments, and appointments.

To find out more about identifying, assessing, and appointing leaders fit for a disrupted world, please get in touch.