On Leading Well

Tag: shared leadership

  • Leading 10x Bigger

    You’re probably familiar with the phrase “what got you here won’t get you there.” This means that the perspectives, skill sets, relational networks and time management practices that helped you become successful in your former role are probably inadequate to meet the new demands you now face.

    This week the executive team on which I serve is hosting a New Global Leader Orientation for 30 men and women who are experiencing their first year of global leadership in our organization. For example, John went from highly fruitful decade in one country to being responsible for an additional 19 countries. That’s 20x. And that’s fairly normal for most people in the room. And they still have the same 168 hours each week to get the job done.

    Andrea, our VP for Leadership Development, highlighted a number of the tensions we face when we accept the challenge to greater scope of responsibility.

    If you’re making such a move, here are some tensions that you may deal with:

    • Moving from “we” to a “they”
    • Scope vs. Focus
    • Immediate impact vs. Intentional change over time
    • Unity vs. Diversity
    • Simplicity vs. Complexity
    • One culture vs. Many Cultures
    • Face to face meetings vs. Online meetings
    • Single language vs. Multilingual work environment
    • Global standards vs. Local flexibility
    • Trust built through personal presence vs. Leading over distance
    • Controlling my schedule vs. Serving others in their time zones
    • Being the expert vs. Relying on others’ local expertise
    • Leading alone vs. Sharing leadership

    If you’ve made the leap to greater scope, what got you here probably won’t be sufficient to take you to the next level of success.

    What has helped you learn to lead 10x bigger?

     

  • The Most Surprising Thing about Shared Leadership

    The most surprising thing about shared leadership is that most of us are practicing it to some extent all the time.

    If you regularly discuss upcoming plans with people who will be affected by them, you are sharing leadership.

    If you’re willing to act on unsolicited advice from someone in your company who isn’t your boss, you are sharing leadership.

    If you delegate responsibility and authority to someone and then fully support their course of action, you are sharing leadership.

    If you allow your teenager to experience the consequences of his or her own choices and thus become a responsible adult, you are sharing leadership.

    If you listen to that same teenager’s advice on how your behavior pushes family members away, and then change your behavior, you are sharing leadership.

    If you can draw the best ideas out of others on your team then follow their lead, you are sharing leadership.

    If you can give and receive leadership — if you can lead and follow — within the same group of people, you are sharing leadership.

    If you’re not leading in this way you probably aren’t in the running for company president, head pastor, school principal, CEO or parent of the year. If you’re not leading in this way your people may find you overbearing, high-control and paternalistic. A recent post highlighted research among 80 top leaders, many of whom initially chafed at the idea of shared leadership. As it turned out, when asked, “How do you want to be led?” nearly everyone expressed that they expected leaders above them to share leadership.

    What are other ways you observe shared leadership?

  • Guest post: 3 Essentials for Shared Leadership

    Guest blogger Gary Runn has served with Cru for over 30 years. For the past five years he and his family served in Florence, Italy where he focused on leadership development for the national ministry. He currently serves as National Director for Leadership Development of Cru City in Austin, Texas. He’s also my brother-in-law and blogs at garyrunn.wordpress.com.

    We live in dynamic times regarding culture and the mission of extending God’s kingdom. New leadership paradigms and fresh learning are necessary elements in stewarding well the resources that God has entrusted to His people.

    In a previous post on this blog, Ken Cochrum has argued for Shared Leadership. I think Ken is correct in his estimation of what it is going to take to lead in ever increasing complexity. Ken quotes Marshall Goldsmith in defining what is meant by shared leadership. At the heart of the definition are three key components: maximization of resources around you, empowerment of others to contribute well and opportunity for true leadership out of expertise. This is not leadership by committee. This is leadership at its highest level that can navigate the complexities and steward critical resources towards the best possible solution-all the while raising the leadership culture around them to new heights. But ultimately what a leader does will never outpace who a leader is. This style of leading requires some growing character qualities to ensure both a good environment and a good result. It requires letting go of one’s ego — the exaggerated sense of self. I will suggest three character qualities for your consideration.

    Humility
    For the Christ-centered leader humility is always required. But in a command and control style this can be feigned and expressed in measured doses. If a leader is aiming for a shared leadership style this is the starting point and must prove consistent day in and day out. Humility is not thinking less of yourself — it’s not thinking of yourself at all. Humility is the character trait that allows you to get out of the way so others can succeed-again, shunning any form of egotism. Humility actually lends itself to bold ideas because there is nothing personally at stake. The mission and God’s agenda are the only things at stake. Humility is what allows the leader employing this style to empower others. Humility by definition does not have to be the epicenter of power. It rightly shares power with qualified others. A right estimation of self and God is at the epicenter of humility.

    Determination
    The error of a command and control style of leadership is that it is extremely limiting. You are limited to the best and worst of who you are. But the potential error of a shared leadership style is a watered down, fluffy solution with no visible impact. You could end up with leadership by committee and greatly reduce impact. Determination is needed to keep God’s agenda and organizational calling in the forefront. The idea of shared leadership is to get to a better, more impactful solution through partnering efforts. But this requires a leader who can keep connected efforts on track and moving in the right direction. This is knowing when to provide accountability, correcting insight and a refocused vision.

    Authenticity
    This one might surprise you. But good partnership requires safe relationships. There has to be a leadership environment where divergent opinions can be freely expressed. The best way I know to create safety is if the leader demonstrates true authenticity. This means that the leader is able to admit mistakes, weaknesses, and limitations. This also means that the leader can freely encourage and praise the contributions of others. People readily follow gracious, authentic leaders. Leaders should always be conscious of the working environment around them and the development of leaders around them. An authentic leader fosters a safe, energetic collaboration environment.

    Where are these traits nourished and grown? At the foot of the cross. Our constant recognition for the grace of the gospel is the soil for growing these qualities. A helpful fertilizer is regular feedback from peers, superiors and those you lead. A deadly weed is letting egotism run rampant. Shared leadership in all of its varied expressions is the way forward. Will you strive to become this type of leader?