We have spent so much time and space, even in this magazine, looking
for leadership in all the wrong places. Leadership is really not about
leaders themselves. It’s about a collective practice among people
who work together — accomplishing the choices we make together
in our mutual work.
for leadership in all the wrong places. Leadership is really not about
leaders themselves. It’s about a collective practice among people
who work together — accomplishing the choices we make together
in our mutual work.
That’s not, of course, the conventional notion of leadership. Beginning
in the 19th century, the “Great Man” theory of leadership held that the
historical march of civilization occurs based on the deeds of great
individual leaders. Furthermore, these great leaders were thought to have
been born with particular traits that accorded them greatness. Their deeds
flowed from their personalities.
in the 19th century, the “Great Man” theory of leadership held that the
historical march of civilization occurs based on the deeds of great
individual leaders. Furthermore, these great leaders were thought to have
been born with particular traits that accorded them greatness. Their deeds
flowed from their personalities.
Even though the study of leadership has since moved on to such factors
as leadership styles and behaviors, the charismatic ideal of prominent
leaders remains. Derived from the Greek, charisma has a meaning of
both a gift and a grace that allows certain individuals to sway others and
shape the future by their sheer presence and personality.
as leadership styles and behaviors, the charismatic ideal of prominent
leaders remains. Derived from the Greek, charisma has a meaning of
both a gift and a grace that allows certain individuals to sway others and
shape the future by their sheer presence and personality.
But we’re at somewhat of a crossroads now in discerning just how
successful the world’s great charismatic leaders have been over the
past two centuries. Some might argue that our world is at a higher state
of peaceful coexistence than at any prior time. However, others might
contend that the human race is closer to the brink of extinction than at
any time in history — and that our leaders have brought us to this point.
successful the world’s great charismatic leaders have been over the
past two centuries. Some might argue that our world is at a higher state
of peaceful coexistence than at any prior time. However, others might
contend that the human race is closer to the brink of extinction than at
any time in history — and that our leaders have brought us to this point.
What’s more, within corporations, there is a concern that, given such
conditions as accessible communications technology, size and
complexity, top-down oversight by leaders has limitations. For example,
a September 2014 article from HR magazine quoted Simon Lloyd, HR
director of the bank Santander UK, as observing that “technology is
freeing things up”; he went on to say that because of the sheer size of
organizations, “trying to impose a command-and-control structure
doesn’t work.” In the same article, Betsy Sutter, corporate senior vice
president and chief people officer at VMware Inc., was quoted as saying
that, because of the rapid pace of change, "you can’t expect to be able
to scale, transform and win if you’re not creating agile models. If it’s
top-down, it moves too slowly."
conditions as accessible communications technology, size and
complexity, top-down oversight by leaders has limitations. For example,
a September 2014 article from HR magazine quoted Simon Lloyd, HR
director of the bank Santander UK, as observing that “technology is
freeing things up”; he went on to say that because of the sheer size of
organizations, “trying to impose a command-and-control structure
doesn’t work.” In the same article, Betsy Sutter, corporate senior vice
president and chief people officer at VMware Inc., was quoted as saying
that, because of the rapid pace of change, "you can’t expect to be able
to scale, transform and win if you’re not creating agile models. If it’s
top-down, it moves too slowly."
We can gain insights into a new model of leadership from the late Nelson
Mandela, the former president of South Africa and one of the greatest
figures of our time. Mandela frequently emphasized the shared nature
of leadership and was known for giving credit to others. For example,
when honored for his role in ending apartheid, he would note that
abolishing apartheid was a collective endeavor. Perhaps one of the most
important leadership lessons we might distill from Mandela was not his
acquisition of leadership but the way he shared it.
Mandela, the former president of South Africa and one of the greatest
figures of our time. Mandela frequently emphasized the shared nature
of leadership and was known for giving credit to others. For example,
when honored for his role in ending apartheid, he would note that
abolishing apartheid was a collective endeavor. Perhaps one of the most
important leadership lessons we might distill from Mandela was not his
acquisition of leadership but the way he shared it.
In fast-moving business environments, we can’t keep
dampening the energy and creativity of those condemned
to follower status.
Mandela’s approach suggests a new way of thinking about leadership
— not as a set of traits possessed by particularly gifted individuals, but
as a set of practices among those engaged together in realizing their
choices. This kind of leadership involves activities such as scanning
the environment, mobilizing resources and inviting participation,
weaving interactions across existing and new networks and offering
feedback and facilitating reflection.
— not as a set of traits possessed by particularly gifted individuals, but
as a set of practices among those engaged together in realizing their
choices. This kind of leadership involves activities such as scanning
the environment, mobilizing resources and inviting participation,
weaving interactions across existing and new networks and offering
feedback and facilitating reflection.
It also means that leadership development will require a different
approach from standard training that pulls managers out of their
workplaces to attend sessions that presume to teach leadership
competencies. If leadership is a collaborative activity, it makes little
sense to teach leadership to individuals in a public setting detached
from the very group where leadership needs to occur. Managers
maylearn particular competencies or skills in a class — but may not
find them applicable to the real problems back in their home
environment. Even the consultation of best practices may fall flat,
since it is the instant practice within the immediate setting that requires
the most attention.
approach from standard training that pulls managers out of their
workplaces to attend sessions that presume to teach leadership
competencies. If leadership is a collaborative activity, it makes little
sense to teach leadership to individuals in a public setting detached
from the very group where leadership needs to occur. Managers
maylearn particular competencies or skills in a class — but may not
find them applicable to the real problems back in their home
environment. Even the consultation of best practices may fall flat,
since it is the instant practice within the immediate setting that requires
the most attention.
One of the methods available to instigate this kind of reflective dialogue
is action learning, in which participants stop and reflect on real-time
problems occurring in their own work environments. Action learning
requires managers to make a concerted effort to observe and reflect
together on the practices that have bottom-line impact. The information
technology company Cisco, based in San Jose, California, has used
action learning to link the company’s growth and collaborative strategies
with leadership development. Through programs like Cisco’s, employees
learn leadership development in the context of their jobs and while
learning to grow the business.This doesn’t mean that leadership training
isn’t necessary; rather, it should be done in a way that responds to
immediate needs and in conjunction with formal and informal work-based
developmental experiences, such as peer mentoring, coaching,
apprenticeship, group process reflection and action learning. In thinking
about how to develop leadership within a group, we may need to find
ways to bring more of the unconscious and unreflective into the
conscious and intentional domain. We need to study instances of failure,
dissonance, crisis and obstruction in the workplace — or even surprises
that spur creativity.
The upshot of this article is not to suggest we do away with leaders as
much as it is to unhook leadership from any insistence that it’s all about
transferring instructions from “those who know” to “those who don’t.”
In fast-moving business environments, we can’t keep dampening the
energy and creativity of those condemned to follower status. Instead,
we need a collective, self-correcting model of leadership in which
participants learn to engage with one another and reflect on their own
actions so that they can learn in the moment and improve their ongoing
practices. Leadership in this sense is returned to the group doing the
work — rather than solidified around an individual who is making
decisions for others.
much as it is to unhook leadership from any insistence that it’s all about
transferring instructions from “those who know” to “those who don’t.”
In fast-moving business environments, we can’t keep dampening the
energy and creativity of those condemned to follower status. Instead,
we need a collective, self-correcting model of leadership in which
participants learn to engage with one another and reflect on their own
actions so that they can learn in the moment and improve their ongoing
practices. Leadership in this sense is returned to the group doing the
work — rather than solidified around an individual who is making
decisions for others.
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