Testing the Relationship

Abstract

The functional — or dysfunctional — nature of the relationship between chief executive and leader becomes apparent when it is ‘tested’ by the occurrence of a ‘critical incident’. Critical incidents are ‘unexpected’ happenings which challenge the nature of the relationship, either through the fact that one or other of the participants in ‘breaking the rules’ (typically unwritten in nature) or there are no rules or guidelines to assist the resolution of an issue over which leader and chief executive have different views.