Leadership is a much misunderstood concept in corporate world. We are further confused with the different versions.
Trainers add to the confusion by 'labelling' many of their programs as 'leadership development programs'. They go a step further by claiming that leadership can be practiced at any level: junior, middle or senior. This is the Western view of human development: you can do anything if you have the willingness and drive to achieve it. This view creates heroic individuals who may perform heroic acts, but can also create deputees who cannot even think for themselves.
The confusion is fed by reluctance of researchers who refuse to define leadership. Researchers interview and study CEO's and political leaders, decipher common traits and behaviour, and claim to discover the common denominator of a leader without defining leadership. In their quest to define leadership traits, they may even forget that many of the CEO's and leaders they interviewed may have been 'adminstrators'.
Rudolph Giuliani's resurrecation of New York after 9/11 is one such example. Reviving a city/institution after such a tragedy requires extraordinary capabilities to bring together all stakeholders, chalk out an action plan and execute it. But is this leadership?
Is 'removing terrorism' same as 'removing terrorist'? Is countering the practice of anti dowry same as passing the 'anti-dowry' law in the parliament? Is instituting 'secured transport' in a city after 11 pm same as instituting police practices to catch criminals in the city?
If you observe closely the similarity in the second and first act, you will understand the concept of leadership. The first act requires understanding of ' interrelated systems', while the second requires understanding of 'linear systems'. The first act requires a far difficult juxtaposition of different initiatives and weaving amongst different stakeholders, while the second requires a 'one dimension action' against the dissidents. The first act requires dealing with dynamic complexity while the second act is dealing with static complexity.
In short, the first act requires the ability to deal with 'Systems'. ( please do not confuse system with department or process. It is a word which has precise definition, derived from a practice called Systems thinking.)More so it requires an ability to understand and deal with open systems and that too multiple systems at one time.
This is where we have a definition of leadership. Leadership practice is an ability to influence open system(s) in a sustained manner. Sustained manner means not just one time action; but an action which can be sustained after the initial trigger is off.
This definition tells us where leadership cannot be practiced. If, for instance, not a single system is 'kept' open at a junior level in a company, one may not be able to practice leadership at a junior position in that company. You will also realise that one may not be able to 'practice' leadership even at senior positions in certain organisations at certain times. For instance, in difficult times, one may just need to bring someone to 'rectify' the situation, such as Louis Gestener did when he was brought to revive IBM. Louis Gestener also had a wisdom to relinquish the position because he intuitively understood what constitutes leadership.
With a precise definition of leadership, HR can develop leaders and then also provide them the 'practice ground' to practice leadership. HR will know whom to expect to practice leadership and what it needs to do in an orgnisation to help them practice leadership. HR will set realistic expectations. HR will invest more carefully in training and developing the right people, instead of trying to practice it all levels.
Trainers add to the confusion by 'labelling' many of their programs as 'leadership development programs'. They go a step further by claiming that leadership can be practiced at any level: junior, middle or senior. This is the Western view of human development: you can do anything if you have the willingness and drive to achieve it. This view creates heroic individuals who may perform heroic acts, but can also create deputees who cannot even think for themselves.
The confusion is fed by reluctance of researchers who refuse to define leadership. Researchers interview and study CEO's and political leaders, decipher common traits and behaviour, and claim to discover the common denominator of a leader without defining leadership. In their quest to define leadership traits, they may even forget that many of the CEO's and leaders they interviewed may have been 'adminstrators'.
Rudolph Giuliani's resurrecation of New York after 9/11 is one such example. Reviving a city/institution after such a tragedy requires extraordinary capabilities to bring together all stakeholders, chalk out an action plan and execute it. But is this leadership?
Is 'removing terrorism' same as 'removing terrorist'? Is countering the practice of anti dowry same as passing the 'anti-dowry' law in the parliament? Is instituting 'secured transport' in a city after 11 pm same as instituting police practices to catch criminals in the city?
If you observe closely the similarity in the second and first act, you will understand the concept of leadership. The first act requires understanding of ' interrelated systems', while the second requires understanding of 'linear systems'. The first act requires a far difficult juxtaposition of different initiatives and weaving amongst different stakeholders, while the second requires a 'one dimension action' against the dissidents. The first act requires dealing with dynamic complexity while the second act is dealing with static complexity.
In short, the first act requires the ability to deal with 'Systems'. ( please do not confuse system with department or process. It is a word which has precise definition, derived from a practice called Systems thinking.)More so it requires an ability to understand and deal with open systems and that too multiple systems at one time.
This is where we have a definition of leadership. Leadership practice is an ability to influence open system(s) in a sustained manner. Sustained manner means not just one time action; but an action which can be sustained after the initial trigger is off.
This definition tells us where leadership cannot be practiced. If, for instance, not a single system is 'kept' open at a junior level in a company, one may not be able to practice leadership at a junior position in that company. You will also realise that one may not be able to 'practice' leadership even at senior positions in certain organisations at certain times. For instance, in difficult times, one may just need to bring someone to 'rectify' the situation, such as Louis Gestener did when he was brought to revive IBM. Louis Gestener also had a wisdom to relinquish the position because he intuitively understood what constitutes leadership.
With a precise definition of leadership, HR can develop leaders and then also provide them the 'practice ground' to practice leadership. HR will know whom to expect to practice leadership and what it needs to do in an orgnisation to help them practice leadership. HR will set realistic expectations. HR will invest more carefully in training and developing the right people, instead of trying to practice it all levels.
2 comments:
I love the new definition of leadership "Leadership practice is an ability to influence open system(s) in a sustained manner." However, if you look at from HR perspective the dynamics doesnt appear this way. Very seldom and in few organizations HR has the power and the understanding in the system. So if this needs to be driven, HR is a wrong point of entry. It could directly start with business and operations people and let HR slowly assimilate the concept and build on it. My view of course, and hence open to debating...
Regards,
rajmali.typepad.com
Raj
Well written article.
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