Brian was the managing director of a travel agency. He was in his mid-thirties, bursting with energy and keen to stamp his authority on the organisation. A sporting type, he had always been loud and enthusiastic. He was a big man, wore size 13 shoes (wide fitting), and had a flat nose that had received a battering in various boxing bouts and rugby matches. He also had a head of unruly blond hair that stuck out in all directions like a thatched roof after a storm.

Brian was determined to succeed. On his appointment, the chairman had set him the task of doubling turnover and profits within four years. Each morning, as he shaved in the mirror, Brian would psyche himself up to face the numerous challenges the day would bring. He made a point of arriving at work early, always ate lunch on the run and stayed late. It became a matter of pride that he was seen to work longer hours than anyone else. He frequently visited the high street branches to address the staff and boost their morale. Wherever he went, he explained the need for a step-change in order to meet the ambitious financial targets he had been set.

Within three months of his appointment, in a flurry of activity, Brian had launched a company-wide campaign called ‘4×2’ – a title he thought of himself. Having launched the campaign, Brian knew that it was vital to maintain the momentum. He drew up lists of themes and initiatives and decided to launch them at the rate of one each month.

Some were designed to improve customer care, others to upgrade the IT system and other key processes, others to cut costs, others to enhance the company’s image, others to achieve better marketing segmentation, others to switch to eLearning for staff training – and so on. Breathless stuff! Brian was definitely not short of initiatives.

Brian was an avid reader of management books and journals. He lapped up The Harvard Business Review, Management Today, books on leadership and managing change, quality management, and even learning organisations and emotional intelligence. He loved to keep abreast of the latest writings from the management gurus. Brian was what you might describe as an active reader. He always used a highlighter to mark passages in the text that took his fancy. He also kept a sheet of paper by his side and compiled an action list as he went along. These actions were added to his growing list of initiatives. Brian calculated that he had enough to last at least three years, by which time, he surmised, he would surely have been headhunted and moved on to new challenges.

After a year in the job, and initiatives galore, neither turnover nor profit showed any signs of improvement. Puzzled, Brian stepped up his efforts. He continued to launch new initiatives. He rushed around the country in a bid to re-galvanise people into action.

After another year of sweat and toil, turnover remained, stubbornly, much the same. Profits showed some modest improvement, but only because of some cost cutting – unprofitable branches had been closed and headcount had been reduced.

The chairman sent for Brian and announced that he no longer had the support of the board. His contract was to be terminated forthwith.