Where does the most influence reside in your organization?

Our reader poll today asks:  Where does the most influence reside in your organization?

• Marketing is the top dog: 8%
• Product is king: 13%
• Finance rules all: 21%
• Operations is in charge: 21%
• R&D is above all others: 2%
• Sales, sales, sales: 26%
• Someone else: 9%

Know who the alpha is. There’s a broad spectrum of which function is top dog at your companies. Industry is likely a major determinant. Make sure you understand the implications of who the alpha is and how you get things approved. For the 21% of you where Finance is king, be careful that longer-term strategic work doesn’t fall victim to near-term budget pressures. While it’s important that a business make money, letting the numbers drive your strategy is a recipe for disaster. Stay focused on your customer and your products/services. The numbers will follow if you’re positioning yourself correctly in the market and driving great operational results.

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.