Below we share our perspective on the evolution of leadership and where it is heading next. It will only take three minutes to read this summary. If you are called to move leadership in this new direction we hope you will join us at our next free webinar on February 23rd at 2:00 pm Mountain Time.
Since the industrial revolution leadership has been through two evolutionary waves: one that emerged in the industrial age and one that emerged in the technological age. Each wave provided benefits, but neither provides the complete answer needed to thrive in today’s world that requires us to constantly transform and adapt. To survive and thrive as a leader today we propose the next wave.
Leadership 101: Conventional Leadership
We refer to the first wave of leadership
as Leadership 101 and also “conventional leadership.” Of the two waves it is
the more masculine form. Conventional leadership is grounded in the notion that
true leadership is felt when we exert our personal will to reach a clear vision
and inspire others to follow us. Examples of this style include command
and control and directive action. 
Conventional leaders often exude confidence, charisma, and courage. They are decisive, set forth clear requirements and expectations, confront tough choices, and make bold moves regardless of the popularity of an idea or buy-in from their employees.
However, there is a shadow side to conventional leadership. That approach is at the heart of the Emperor With No Clothes myth. When conventional leaders go too far, they can be too autocratic, egotistical in the extreme, insular in their decision-making, and blind to their faults and mistakes. Their staffs are told to shut up and row – and they do, to a certain extent. Unfortunately, the conventional approach leaves one person struggling to know and control everything in the organization and the rest of the staff resentful that they have no real influence.
Common wisdom touted conventional
leadership as THE way to be a real leader for a very long time. Soon
after WWII the workforce changed drastically. Women entered the workforce and men had more life experience and a hard earned GI bill college education. Both were sensitive to being told what to do. Leaders now had to manage a diverse and knowledgeable workforce
eager to operate more autonomously. As technology advanced it became imperative
that people from different parts of the organization weigh in to address
complex challenges. Leaders were called on to direct experts that knew more
about the solution than they did themselves. With this change came the rise of
a new form of leadership: Collaborative Leadership.
Leadership 201: Collaborative Leadership
We refer to the second wave as “collaborative
leadership.” Relative to the first wave, this second wave is the more
"feminine" form of leadership.
It is grounded in the notion that true leadership arrives from supporting
others to exert their own will to reach a clear vision. Examples of
collaborative leadership include servant leadership, mentoring and coaching,
shared leadership, empowering cross functional task forces and committees,
consensus decision making, and using focus groups to create requirements and
drive business
decisions. With the rise of technology collaborative leadership became
much more than a benevolent impulse; it became the new business imperative.
Leadership gurus tout collaborative leadership as an improvement that solves the "problems" of conventional leadership and have denigrated conventional leadership as old school and out dated. But there are many positives to the conventional approach and those are dismissed as out-dated too. Essentially we have thrown the baby out with the bath water.
Unfortunately, collaborative leadership has a shadow side too. When taken too far, those working with collaborative leaders don’t experience empowerment; they experience confusion, negligence and abdication. Essentially, they are left without anyone at the helm. Examples of the shadow side includes self sacrificing leaders who don’t hold their teams accountable for results, cumbersome decision making processes that eats up precious time and slows forward movement. If you've operated in an environment with a matrix structure this new form of leadership is the modus operandi, but wow, can it be time consuming and mired in consensus driven molasses! With everyone in charge, no one is in charge.
If neither Conventional nor Collaborative leadership provides the answer, are we missing something? Yes! The next leap forward: Conscious Leadership.
Leadership 1001: Conscious Leadership
Conscious leaders have what we call PolaritySmarts in that they recognize that Conventional and Collaborative approaches are two sides of a polarity that must be managed to be effective as a leader. Conscious leaders navigate the full spectrum of conventional and collaborative approaches as needed and are wise to the negative aspects that come from hanging out too long at either end of the spectrum. With this wisdom they are able to adapt and confidently choose the approach that best suits the need at hand.
How a conscious leader operates:
· With PolaritySmarts - knowing that leadership itself is a polarity to manage.
· With self-awareness of my own preferences, gifts and talents.
· With appreciation for the style that is the polar opposite to my own preferred style.
· With willingness to adopt new strategies to round myself out.
· With awareness of my fears and triggers that drive a negative expression of either style.
We will be sharing our views on how to develop conscious leadership in our free webinar on Feb. 23rd at 2:00pm Mountain Time "PolaritySmarts-the Leadership Game Changer." Please click here to sign up.
We look forward to "seeing" you there,
Jen and Patty
Ready to read more? Click here for our latest publication on polarity and leadership
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No problem! But here's what you MUST include: Jennifer Joyce and Patty Beach are co-founders of LeadershipSmarts.com. LeadershipSmarts.com was developed to provide managers with a variety of resolution-focused programs that address the universal issues they face today. For more information about Patty, Jennifer, and the solutions they provide, please visit their web site: www.LeadershipSmarts.com