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Leading from Within, Part II (2006)
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Contrary to
conventionalwisdom, leadership is not
scarce; it is simply underdeveloped. Relying on innate wisdom, managers
can
ascend through three levels: Leaders of Self, Leaders of Others,
Leaders of
Leaders.
Leadership is one of our most
valuable resources, yet we
continually hear the lament that leadership is our scarcest commodity.
Few
businesses lack good ideas or money, but many lack the leadership to
take full
advantage of opportunities that are clearly within their grasp.
But what if what if we were to
assume that leadership is
not the scarcest but the most abundant resource? What if we saw clearly
that
every person in a company has the potential to see what needs doing and
to get
it done?
We would discover that leadership
is not scarce at all,
simply overlooked and underdeveloped. Every employee has latent
leadership
skills and abilities. Superior "leaders" are those who see the
abundance of leadership potential and help their organizations harvest
it. The extent to
which companies cultivate and
harvest their employees' innate leadership is the hallmark of
successful
companies.
Reflecting
Reflection is the art of listening
to our inner voice for
insights about a question and accessing intelligence that may go beyond
our
personal knowledge or experience. It is the process of quieting our
mind
sufficiently to frame a question, seeing what insights occur by
listening to
ourselves, and then taking those insights to a deeper level of
understanding.
Reflective thinking is at the heart
of all good meetings.
The more reflective the thought, the shorter the meeting and the more
that is
accomplished. Rather than letting participants talk past one another, a
reflective leader urges them to listen more deeply to what they are
saying. It
is a process of slowing down the discussion by saying things like,
"Please
tell us more about your thought," "What about that is true for
you?" or "Can you elaborate this or that aspect of your idea?"
This can take fortitude for groups
often want to forge
ahead, generating their "lists" rather than taking time to reflect on
what they are actually saying. This flurry of activity creates the
illusion
that much is being done, when in reality the problem is not being
solved.
As we become more adept at
reflection, it is easier to
listen to others. Good leaders are known for their reflective and
listening
skills.
Exploring
Exploration is the process of
helping others step into the
unknown. How do graceful leaders help themselves and others do this?
First, leaders begin by clearly
articulating a goal. One
of the best examples of this was John F. Kennedy's challenge to the
nation to
put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. Since business is about
accomplishing work through collective energy, leaders need to give
direction so
that exploration has a purpose.
"Mucking around" is a critical
element of
exploration. When a team is looking to do something uncommon, they are
inevitably going to take wrong turns and follow false leads.
Understanding what
is not known is an essential
component of seeing what needs to be learned. The leader of the team
must stay
committed to exploration and help the group keep their bearings. The
leader's
confidence can be contagious and help everyone see things more clearly.
In the face of an urgently posed
question or a challenge,
the leader should be self-effacing enough to say, "I don't know."
This frees the leader from the burden of always having to come up with
the
right answers and empowers others to think for themselves. It also
secures
"buy in" for self-generated solutions. How different this is from
leaders who try to sell people on their ideas or, even worse, tell
their people
what to do!
Exploration is based on hope, the
knowledge that there are
possibilities beyond what is already known. Hope helps people let go of
negative thoughts and free their minds to be creative. Tapping inner
intelligence requires a release from the mental prison of egocentric
thinking
-- hard to do when leaders have self-esteem at stake, but easy when
they are
not thinking about themselves.
Leaders encourage members of the
group to step back from
their own "right answers" and listen more deeply to one another. As
people do this, they begin to see things differently. Suddenly, what
they were
holding so dear looks ridiculous. Shifts in thinking can be tangible as
people
see a third way -- one that integrates conflicting points of view,
takes the
best ideas and puts them to work.
Understanding
Understanding helps us establish a
more human connection in
dealings with others. When leaders look for the innocence in people's
actions
instead of cluttering their minds with blame and suspicion, people feel
respected and valued. This frees them to turn their full attention to
the
business matters at hand and to give their best.
Kindness is another state of mind
that promotes well-being
in organizations. It can be nothing more than small acts that help
people work
through problems or balance home and family commitments. Kind acts
rarely
require an investment of money because what is really valued is the
commitment
of others to help in time of need.
Applying
the
Principles to Leadership
Each of us has a set of "thinking
habits" about
the value of a quiet state of mind, the importance of decisions based
on insight
and the innate leadership abilities of others. These thinking habits
typically
lead to three distinct leadership styles within a company: leader of
self,
leader of others and leader of leaders.
Leaders of Self
Every
company has many people
who are making significant contributions. Frequently leaders of self,
or strong
individual contributors, are diligent and driven to succeed and have
earned a
reputation for getting things done. Individual contributors solve their
own
problems, often with little effort, and are motivated by their own
goals or
agenda. Direct recognition is well received and expected.
Because
individual contributors
are typically able to access their inner wisdom easily, they are often
unaware
that others have not developed this gift to the same degree. They come
to
meetings with their answers already worked out, looking to be
understood by
others or to sway them. They may fail to notice the mood of the others
in the
meeting or see it as something to be "dealt with." Because they are
focused narrowly on their own responsibilities and performance, they
rarely
develop the talent of those around them or inspire them to new heights.
While
individual contributors contribute much to organizations, they fall
short of
their potential because their leadership is directed inward.
Leaders of Others
Leaders
of others tend to have a
deeper understanding of themselves and those around them. They are
committed to
serving others as well as themselves. They hold the well-being, growth
and
accomplishments of others foremost in their thoughts and act
accordingly. For
them the question is less "what do I need to do?" and more "what
needs doing for the group?" Reflecting on this question helps everyone
tap
into his or her own collective wisdom and common sense.
Typically,
leaders of others
believe they are "accountable" for their team's performance and look
for recognition based on their team's success. What limits the growth
of such
leaders is their sense that their role is more important than that of
the other
members of the team. The difference between ordinary work groups and
high-performing work teams lies in the group's belief in the leadership
capability of each team member and in each individual's ability to stay
in a
leadership frame of mind.
Leaders of Leaders
The
primary role of a leader of
leaders is to release and nourish the leadership in others. Such
leaders take
satisfaction in seeing others excel. In particular, they seek to lead
with
creativity, freshness, ease, warmth, and grace and to draw out the
innate
intelligence and wisdom of others. They are on a journey, themselves. A
high
level of reflection begets their curiosity. This is why they are such
good
teachers, for teachers are first students. They ask the questions that
stimulate the thirst for greater understanding.
Leaders
of leaders are not
interested in creating followers who mimic them. Quite the contrary.
They seek
out people who are independent-minded and good listeners. They look to
feelings
first, since feelings point to the quality of thought. Warm, positive
feelings
lead to great outcomes that endure, while anxious, self- important
thoughts
lead to superficial gains dearly purchased.
Summary
Transitioning from an organization
of individual
contributors to one of leaders of leaders is a journey that enables an
organization to better harvest the leadership talent of its people.
This
journey requires leaps of faith. It also challenges ingrained
individual or
cultural thinking habits.
Changing thinking habits is not
inherently complex, but it
is challenging. Consider the following questions to help you become
more aware
of your own thinking habits:
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Am I
responding to my own ego? |
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Do I allow myself some quiet time to
reflect (or I am I booking my schedule fully, going from one
project/meeting to
the next without break)? |
| - |
Am I asking questions of others, to
elicit a full understanding of their thoughts or statements? |
| - |
Am I
thinking in terms of puzzles, rather than crises? |
| - |
Do I look
for blame or innocence in what others tell me? |
| - |
Do I spend time thinking about issues,
or jump to conclusions as rapidly as possible? |
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Am I
comfortable admitting that I do not know the answer? |
When we are
leading well, our minds are calm; and our thinking
is clear. When we are leading poorly, our minds are busy; and our
thinking is
muddled. Those who commit themselves to understanding their own
intelligence
and common sense will find that leading comes naturally as their inner
wisdom
becomes more and more accessible. They will see the same in those they
work
with or lead. Once this virtuous circle has begun, they will find that
there is
no limit to their depth of understanding and insight.
For more information email Partners@AccompliGroup.com
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