Executive-driven

Executive-driven refers to a situation, process, or organization where the primary impetus for decision-making, strategy, and implementation originates from or is heavily influenced by high-level management or executives. This approach often prioritizes the vision and goals of the executive team, potentially leading to rapid change and focused execution, but also carries the risk of a top-down approach where lower-level input is overlooked or disregarded. The term emphasizes the centrality of executives in shaping the direction and activities of an entity, impacting the power dynamics and overall culture.

Executive-driven meaning with examples

• The company’s new product launch was executive-driven. The CEO had a specific vision for the innovation, and the team worked tirelessly to execute it. While successful, some felt a more inclusive development phase could have resulted in a product with a wider market appeal and fewer initial glitches. The rapid rollout was impressive though.
• Implementation of the new IT system became executive-driven because of the data breach. The CIO, motivated by the board to enhance cybersecurity protocols, streamlined the project management process, ensuring quicker delivery and compliance, but the sudden change left staff feeling underprepared. This swift action was driven by immediate concerns.
• Company culture evolved into a more executive-driven environment after the leadership restructure. Decision-making power flowed upwards, which caused issues because employees' voices were being dismissed, and the company’s morale suffered greatly. Some departments adapted, but the change resulted in several key departures.
• The strategic shift towards international expansion was executive-driven. Senior leaders felt an urgent necessity to diversify the company's investments into several overseas territories. This resulted in bold moves and significant financial risks and rewards. The new venture opened fresh markets to the company.
• Market research and analysis were overlooked in the executive-driven marketing campaign. The marketing team's strategy was crafted entirely on the CEO's intuition about the potential audience. This resulted in poor returns on investment, but the CEO had unwavering confidence in their decision-making prowess, which created significant conflict.