Reflecting on Leadership
In chapter 1 of
his textbook “Complex Adaptive Leadership," Obolensky (2014) recommended that
readers take spend some time thinking about the way people view leaders today,
and why this view may have changed in recent times.
Has your own attitude to leaders change in your life, and if
so how?
My attitude
towards leaders has certainly changed over time. Early in my career, I was very
intimidated by the leaders in my organization and I never would have considered
questioning their authority or their knowledge. I used to envision leadership
roles as positions that were earned as a result of some combination of (1) time
at the organization, (2) accomplishments during that time, and (3) deep
knowledge that could only be gained as a result of longevity.
As my career has
matured, I’ve been exposed to many different types of leaders and this has
helped change the way I look at people in leadership roles. If I reflect back
on the types of leaders that I respected the most, factor number (1) above
plays almost no role in how they became leaders. Katherine, for example, is my
age, and has been doing the same type of role as me for only five or so years
longer than me. She has a different educational background and a different
personal background, but professionally, we are very much alike. When I worked
with Katherine, she managed a team of ten people, three of which had been with
the company for over 25 years each. Her abilities, thirst for learning,
charisma, and passion for the people, the job, and the company she works for
helped propel Katherine into a leadership role ahead of many others who had
more experience than her. As a result, I am less intimidated by leaders and
more quick to contribute to organizational strategies, even if I am bringing
forward ideas that aren’t in the leader’s immediate line of sight. Because of my interaction with leaders like
Katherine, I see leadership as a much more collaborative role than I did when I
was in the early years of my career.
Is there a changing generational trend in leadership? If so,
what is it?
I started my
career in contracts and procurement when I was in my early 20’s as a college
intern at Eastern Washington’s Hanford Nuclear Power Plant. People spoke of the
fact that nearly half of the workforce at Hanford would be eligible to retire
within five years when I was first starting out. Needless to say, the work
force was dominated by very tenured people, and newbies like me were struggling
to gain traction.
Fast forward 15
years and things have changed quite significantly. I do believe there is a
changing generational trend in leadership, and that is likely the result of the
frequently changing societies in which we live. One trend I have noticed
personally is the increase in the size of teams and a decrease in the size of
management. Another trend I have noticed is a renewed focus on developing young
people through sophisticated leadership training programs and certification.
Finally, I have noticed a trend in increasing the importance that organizations
put on diversity and inclusion.
Why has this change occurred?
As mentioned
above, today’s businesses are forced to respond to frequently changing dynamics
in the economies in which they market their products and services. These
dynamics have resulted in an atmosphere where agility is often valued more than
longevity. Many of the leaders that I see excelling today are those who grew up
at a time when the U.S. economy was experiencing some of its greatest moments of
uncertainty in history. Emerging leaders grew up surrounded by highly stressed
and likely emotional people who were forced to redefine their own careers as a result
of economic instability. I believe younger generations may be more keen on
predicting future markets and may be more comfortable with new strategies
because of this. They may also be more prepared to deal with failure, and turn
it into opportunity, which is an exciting leadership quality in the eyes of business
owners today.
The Leaders of Yesterday vs. Those of Today…and Tomorrow
The traditional pompous associated with leading a team has
begun to dwindle over the last decade as people have become increasingly
educated on leadership and leadership practices. As studies about leadership
have gained in popularity, there has been increasing doubt over the trait
approach to leadership, which says that certain people are just naturally born
with the skills that make them great (Northouse, 2016). The quality of leaders
in today’s business environment is under a microscope and the findings so far
have revealed an apparent gap between the expectations of followers and the
performance of leaders. This blog looks at three factors that may be attributed
to the lack in quality of today’s leaders, along with a proposal for how to
close this gap.
A Shift in Power
According to Obolensky (2014), “power has really shifted and
diffused more than ever before” (p. 19). Today, the power of traditional
institutions like churches, governments, and big businesses is much smaller
than the collective power of the consumer (Obolensky, 2014). In today’s
environment, the voice of the people is stronger than the voice of those who
lead the people, and this has led to a situation where leaders find it harder
to prove their value.
It’s no longer enough to have longevity or seniority in order
to lead. Like consumers, followers have been given more power within
organizations because businesses have realized that empowering leaders at all
levels improves their possibility for success. With this increase in power,
followers have become less dependent on leaders, and more confident in their
ability to make decisions within their teams. This shift in power has bred
leaders who are “more concerned, confused, and defensive than ever before”
(Obolensky, 2014, p. 19).
The Fast-Paced and Frequently
Changing Environment
When change is overwhelming, leaders have a difficult time
harnessing it, understanding it, and communicating it to the organization (Reeves & Deimler, 2011). This causes many leaders to fear
change and sometimes even ignore it. The problem with this approach is that
today’s business environment is moving at a speed like never-before. Obolensky
(2014) stated that “the age within which we live is unique from the point of
view of change […] the scale of change is remarkable” (p. 12). Many leaders are
unsuccessful in today’s environment because they are not persistent enough to
predict change and not agile enough to react to it (Gandz, 2005).
A New Generation of Leaders
The fast-paced and changing environment discussed above is
leading to a new generation of leaders. This generation of leaders is more
comfortable with new technology, more aware of social challenges, and more
passionate about changing the traditional business norms (Obolensky, 2014). The
flexibility that these new leaders display has helped highlight the rigidity of
existing ones, which has made it increasingly difficult for existing leaders to
maintain the idea that they know more than their followers.
Younger generations in the corporate world tend to hold
leaders more accountable, asking them to prove their worth before earning a
follower (Obolensky, 2014). As a result, organizations have a rapidly decreasing
level of tolerance for non-performing leaders and little hesitancy to exchange
veterans with newbies. This behavior may be leading to a decrease in confidence
of many veteran leaders, including the ones who are perfectly capable of
leading effectively in today’s changing environment.
Closing the Gap
In some cases, leaders have more knowledge about the
organization they work for, including the processes and procedures under which
it operates. In other cases, leaders have more knowledge about the products or
services sold by the business, and this helps them establish dominance within
the organization. In all cases, leaders play an important role as a
communicator, a strategic thinker, a decision maker, and a team builder, which
helps employees stay united as the organization works to execute its strategies
(Greaves, 2012).
In order to address the deficiencies of today’s leaders,
organizations must educate their employees on the general business environment
and help them feel comfortable with the idea of unpredictability and change. Organizations
should also focus on understanding how to collect and use the incredible amount
of data available thanks to advancements in technology. Leaders will be more
successful if they can find ways to use this data to study trends and develops
strategies to react to such trends (Reeves
& Deimler, 2011). Finally, closing the gap may be as simple as increasing
the value that organizations put on experimentation, creative thinking, and
individuality because these behaviors can help leaders learn how to more easily
adapt in situations that they cannot predict.
Conclusion
Traditionally, many people believed that leaders are
naturally born with a certain set of set of traits, like charisma, which help
them rise above their peers. Others believed that leaders are chosen based on
their level of education, commitment to study, and work experiences. Quite
frankly, the methods of how we define leaders matter much less today than they
did 20 or 30 years ago. Today’s corporations focus less on the traits and
skills approaches to leadership and more on seeking out leaders who can adapt
to the rapidly changing business environment. The importance of developing
people to become strong leaders is not in question. Good leaders bring a level
of persistence, dominance, and initiative to the people they lead and each of
these traits improve the organization’s ability to reach its goals (Northouse,
2016).
References
Greaves, E. (2012). Five rolls a leader needs
to play. Corp Magazine. Retrieved
from https://www.corpmagazine.com/executives-entrepreneurs/expert-advice/five-roles-a-leader-needs-to-play/
Gandz, J. (2005). The leadership role. Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/the-leadership-role/
Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex
Adaptive Leadership: Embracing Paradox and Uncertainty (2nd
ed.). New York, New York: Gower Publishing.
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership:
Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publishing.
Reeves, M., & Deimler, M. (2011). Adaptability: the new
competitive advantage. Harvard
Business Review, 89(7/8), 134-141.
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