I also came to realise that selling is part of our lives. Those who are masters at it - be it selling ideas, products or services - can influence the future. Selling is an important leadership competence.

We don’t need carrots and sticks to incentivise people. We need those with a deep understanding of our values - that is what guides us. And if we’ve got people who are not living the values, they might have to work elsewhere.

Let’s face it, no one, regardless of how experienced or talented, is equally adept at every aspect of a job. In any case, as Immelt points out, even if you are above average across the board, no leader has the time to concentrate on every aspect of the job, especially in the earliest days of a new position. Think about where your personal involvement will yield the most leverage and where someone else might do an even better job.

We will not go so far as to say that a dominant leadership style is necessary to make a shared-services model work, but empirically, where we find success, we also tend to find leaders who are willing to make powerful people in their organizations uncomfortable. And when the power brokers push back, as they often do in a reshuffling of decision rights, these leaders unapologetically hold their position. Some do it with a smile, others with a scowl, and still others with just the right amount of disinterest in the approval of others. But they all draw the line firmly. The same thing could be achieved theoretically through persuasion and consensus-building; we just haven't seen it yet. So if you find you're getting stuck in a shared-services showdown with the rainmakers in your organization, you may have to channel that internal kindergarten teacher (or drill sergeant) who is unambiguously large and in charge.

We will not go so far as to say that a dominant leadership style is necessary to make a shared-services model work, but empirically, where we find success, we also tend to find leaders who are willing to make powerful people in their organizations uncomfortable. And when the power brokers push back, as they often do in a reshuffling of decision rights, these leaders unapologetically hold their position. Some do it with a smile, others with a scowl, and still others with just the right amount of disinterest in the approval of others. But they all draw the line firmly. The same thing could be achieved theoretically through persuasion and consensus-building; we just haven't seen it yet. So if you find you're getting stuck in a shared-services showdown with the rainmakers in your organization, you may have to channel that internal kindergarten teacher (or drill sergeant) who is unambiguously large and in charge.