Leadership...

We are experiencing diverse crises across the globe. These require rather diverse skills and experience.

The one common denominator however is Leadership. We need Leadership by the bucket load.

My beloved South Africa is experiencing a leadership challenge that has been very long in the making. It is heart breaking to witness how the distance between leaders and followers contribute to deep divides and how, due to the history and social fabric of this beautiful but fractured country, the ruling leaders are really and truly challenged. I feel for them. Deeply.

So, what is this concept of Leadership? I can easily lose myself in trying to define Leadership and I would not contribute one element of value to the discussion. Many brilliant minds have gone down this rabbit hole before and as yet, we don’t have one common definition for leadership. I will therefore not go down this dark alley.

I am however comfortable to attempt to, based on what I have witnessed/ experienced/ been subjected to, and still see daily in my coaching practice, contribute to the discussion by pulling together various views and voicing an opinion on how leadership manifests and what leaders can do to develop leadership skills.

In a recent article I touched on VUCA (Volatile, Uncertainty, Complex and Ambiguous) and specifically on the C – Complexity. I will elaborate a bit on the role that Complexity plays in impacting leadership in our modern day.

It is however surprising to have recently re-read in one of Dave Townsend’s articles this quote by Antonio Gramsci from Prison Notebooks-1930: “That aspect of the modern crisis which is bemoaned as a “wave of materialism’ is related to what is called the “crisis of authority.” If the ruling class has lost its consensus, i.e. is no longer “leading” but only “dominant,” exercising coercive force alone, this means precisely that the great masses have become detached from their traditional ideologies, and no longer believe what they used to believe previously, etc.”

One is inclined to think “But nothing has changed much.” This is what we are experiencing here.

Yet, so much has changed.

Our world is faced by a global calamity in the form of COVID-19. This is exacerbated by the second, or is it the first, crisis: Extreme Weather that manifests in excessive heat and resultant drought in Northern America, drought and famine in Africa, irregular weather in Europe and France in particular, flooding in Asia and Australia.

Inclusion is a challenge seemingly unattainable, and so I can carry on.

Add to this mix global political instability, corruption, extremism and more, the complexity is compounded, and it quickly becomes a quagmire that any sane person would flee from. But whereto…?

Leaders have to stand firm, face whatever is thrown at them and forge a way for all those looking up to them.

All of these perfectly accentuate the complexity facing the modern leader.

As Dave Snowden puts it so well “The reality of leadership, as I have pointed out many times, is that your role is in the main enabling navigation which does not always make you the navigator”, and “The role of a leader is fraught with moral peril.”

What, then, would constitute leadership in our current day and age?

According to Prof Michelle Buck at Kellogg “Leadership is not a title. Leadership is not a position, but rather, leadership is a mindset. Leadership is a way of being.”

Michelle believes that leadership requires from leaders to:

§ leverage the power of reflection as it can provide stability at this time. Our values and purpose can provide consistency and stability to hold onto. Spending time in reflection to think about our core values and beliefs and what have informed or shaped these, give direction to thinking about what you want your contributions to be in your sphere of influence in future.

§ think about how you can generate transformation from adversity. Engaging the struggle of grappling with the unknown and “stepping into an abyss” allows you to emerge from the other side with new insights and wisdom that allows for transformation.

Her colleague, Prof Timothy Feddersen adds to this:

§ Empathy is a key requirement. Demonstrating to others that you understand the values that they care about and demonstrating that you understand them and where they are coming from creates comfort and warmth and gives a sense of being anchored. Treasure the people on your staff who are good at empathy. Listen to them.

§ Leaders must be willing to make decisive decisions. Once the decisions have been made the appropriate actions need to be coordinated whilst being actioned by competent appointees. Think of the conductor in a musical ensemble.

It also helps that leaders master the art of serial tasking. We know that multi-tasking is devastating and not sustainable. Being able however to chunk your time in, for instance, twenty-minute bits, prevents fatigue and loss of concentration whilst allowing for giving attention where it is required without creating the sense that you are procrastinating. This is known as the Pomodoro-Technique.

In the complex world we live in it is essential that leaders are adept at influencing others. We call this Social Intelligence. You need to be able to engage all stakeholders. You must be able to motivate, guide and inspire all the talented people following you.

Great leaders have a rare skill that distinguishes them from others: the skill to receive messages. The better you are at receiving messages, the more people will talk to you, and leaders need to know. An implied premise is that people need to trust you for them to want to talk to you. Being able to receive messages creates trust. How can you develop this skill?

§ Be courageous.

§ Do not judge.

§ Be open.

Leaders can leverage humour as a valuable ally. It relieves tension and according to Naomi Bagdonas from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, act as “Brain cocktails. When we laugh, our brains release a cocktail of hormones.”

To be acknowledged as an inclusive leader work at the following:

§ Show visible commitment: articulate authentic commitment to diversity, challenge the status quo, hold others accountable, and make diversity and inclusion a personal priority.

§ Humility: be modest about capabilities, admit mistakes, invite others to contribute.

§ Be aware of bias: show awareness of personal blind spots, as well as flaws in the system, and work hard to ensure a meritocracy.

§ Be curious about others: demonstrate an open mindset and deep curiosity about others, listen without judgment, and seek with empathy to understand those around you.

§ Cultural intelligence: be attentive to others’ cultures and adapt as required.

§ Collaborate effectively: empower others, pay attention to diversity of thinking and psychological safety, and focus on team cohesion.

From a previous article of mine:

§ Ask for feedback.

§ Be present.

§ Lead with purpose.

§ Put your people first.

§ Be comfortable with “not knowing”.

§ Define a noble purpose for your organisation.

§ Be comfortable with who you are whilst creating space for others to be who they are.

§ Leaders focus on sustainability and cultivate a “long view”.

§ Continuously develop your Emotional Intelligence.

 Go and lead with Purpose and Humanity:

§ Be clear about your own purpose,

§ Be curious about the purpose of the people around you,

§ Be clear about your role as leader,

§ Serve the customer (those waiting to be served by you),

§ Be authentic and vulnerable.

If need be, invite an Executive Coach to be your thinking partner, travelling the journey with you.

Johan Raubenheimer, PCC. July 2021