Adaptive leadership - Why Being a Great Boss Isn't Always About Doing the Best Job

Sharing a Thought:

Recently I read a section in ''The Practice of Adaptive Leadership' by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow and Marty Linsky which I feel resounds quite strongly with many of us. In the section titled 'Distinguishing Leadership from Authority' it states that "exercising adaptive leadership is radically different from doing your job really, really well"(Heifetz, et al., 2009). In essence we have to understand that those who are successful in business are generally so due to them doing what their superiors demand to a pleasing degree. However great this sounds many of the breakthroughs that we have seen in our time have been down to individuals practicing adaptive leadership and unhinging themselves from the constructs of mainstream leadership practices.

We are Trapped by our Success

The book describes how "if you do what you are supposed to do...you will be rewarded in the coin of the realm"(Heifetz, et al., 2009). This included pay rises and promotions and for many reading this these things sound like absolute positives and in many ways they are. A big problem however is that this trains us to be subordinate. I remember in Year 12 a dilemma which was faced by my school captains. Chosen by the students for the students these individuals were tasked to actuate the ideas the year level were producing in relation to school life, sports and charity to name a few areas. Immediately there appeared to be an inherent problem. In order to remain as captains these students had to remain within the guidelines set out by the teaching group but at the same time put into effect the wishes of the student body. This situation is not dissimilar to the issue faced by a head of a section of a business. The business goals set out by a CEO may not mirror the model being worked towards by employees. Meanwhile a department manager is wedged in the middle fruitlessly trying to balance the expectations set on them from both sides of their business life.

Source:  ''The Practice of Adaptive Leadership' by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow and Marty Linsky (Page 28)

Replay

Looking again at the issue faced by those captains, lets see how adaptive leadership could have played a role. Rather than just the straightforward, black or white choice between students and teachers lets use the approach of leadership instead of authority. Studying Figure 2-3 from 'The Practice of Adaptive Leadership' we see that adaptive leaders "expose conflict or let it emerge"(Heifetz, et al., 2009) whereas mainstream leaders will "maintain norms"(Heifetz, et al., 2009) . Applying the adaptive response, these captains have the opportunity to use their position to initiate conversion between the conflicting parties. Rather than acting as an authoritative buffer, these students can bring both sides of the disagreement together potentially producing a far more agreeable solution. As it played out however, the teachers got what they wanted and the students had a say, but whether or not it had any influence on the final decision was always debatable. This was disappointing given that we come to expect that leaders act for their supporters and not for their bosses.

The Two-fold Problem

Many of the great leaders in recent decades have arisen based on their drive to effect change. They pushed for reform and sought to break through the long held norms of their society. As appealing this sounds to the aspirational entrepreneur there can be consequences. In business in particular, adaptive leadership and its associated practices mean "challenging the status quo"(Heifetz, et al., 2009). This issue is down to two particular problems. The first issue is that people don't like change. Secondly, if you're trying to contradict your employers ideas of how something should be run then "they may want to get rid of you and find someone else who will do their bidding"(Heifetz, et al., 2009).

(susandayley, 2011)

So What Should We Do?

The single most important thing that we must do is understand what adaptive leadership is and recognise that it is a way of understanding conflict. It is a tool for allowing solutions to be found, particularly in the business scene. Don't be those unfortunate students or employees who are the extensions of their authorisers demands. As has been discussed there are solutions to problems outside of the 'yes boss' response type. Great leaders need to be change makers who are willing to challenge not just their societal or business norms, but their own norms as well.

As always please leave a comment if you agree, disagree or just have further impute!



Reference:

SUSANDAYLEY. 5/12/11 2011. Don’t Tell Anyone When I Fall! Out My Backdoor [Online]. Available from: https://susandayley.wordpress.com/tag/balancing/ [Accessed 28/8 2014].

Heifetz, R., Grashow, A. & Linsky, M., 2009. The Practice of Adaptive Leadership. Boston: Harvard Business Press.

My Hero?

"The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, not the way the heavens go." Galileo Galilee 

Posed with the common question of if you could meet anyone who would it be i believe it would be Galileo!

Given the unique opportunity I would jump into a time machines and travel back to the 16th century to meet a long time hero of mine, Galileo Galilee. This is because I see this man as not just a leader but also a walking revolution, a trendsetter. In the past few years I have done numerous projects on this man, including school readings. Through this I have gained a deep respect and admiration for Galileo. I truly look up to him because he chose to do more than anyone before had done. He uprooted people’s reality and threw it away replacing it with what we know today as true but what back then was unthinkable. He represents to me courage, motivation and curiosity. The cornerstones of what I seek to live by and incorporate into my everyday Life. He taught me knowledge is power and it is a power that can extend beyond the individual and which can sway millions. Picking up on the work of a Giordano Bruno in 1600, whom had previously been burned at the stake for his views, I feel is one of the courageous things someone has ever done. He essentially, at the cost of a freedom later in life, propelled the idea of a universe where humanity and earth were not at its center. Galileo spent his entire life learning and studying and experimenting, even while under the watchful eye of the church. Beyond this he took that extra step and took what he saw and pushed to educate the masses. Knowing full well that the foundations of reality were wrong and that doing such was punishable by death. Time and time again he stood before the church and its hierarchy and it was only when we was shown the devices of inhumane torture did he finally give in. I would require pages to cover all that I would ask him but a few would go along as such.

1. During those times where the church was hounding you to renounce your views, what was it that kept you motivated?
2. Why was it so important to make people realize the truth of reality when they were so content with their own?
3. What is it like standing before those who hold your life by a string and holding strong to your beliefs and where do you find the strength to do so?
4. Do you still believe in God or a higher power? If so, why?

The response to these questions I feel would impart onto me deep and meaningful lessons in regards to leadership. How to stand strong and fight for what you believe in and what motives turn an ordinary man into an extraordinary one. Someone who steps beyond the cliff of human understanding to open the peoples eyes to the wonders of the universe and their place in it.

The Man Himself

Who is your hero? Please feel free to comment below!

Sources
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/galileo_galilei.html#6Fe8v60qXYF5g56F.99

http://inventors.about.com/od/gstartinventors/a/Galileo_Galilei_3.htm

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Justus_Sustermans_-_Portrait_of_Galileo_Galilei,_1636.jpg

The Augmentation of the Human Body - Where I Would Start

 

If given the choice I would choose the brain to be improved. 

My reasoning for this is that our brain is our control centre. What I mean is that our brain controls almost all of our bodies functions apart from those governed by the peripheral nervous system. The brain also is the reason for human creativity, ingenuity and individuality. Even with today's advanced medicine the brain is one of the only organs that we cannot transplant. Improving it would mean that we could think faster and more efficiently. Every single person could be the brightest mind leading to a rapid increase in humanities technological and biological developments. Furthermore having a better brain would mean that we could rapidly progress to improving the rest of the body. Without a brain we can’t think and with a better brain we can think better, be smarter, think bigger. Imagine if every single person was as smart as Einstein.  However turning the brain into the universe’s ultimate computer is not without its downsides. With every single person being as smart as each other we would in a way loose our identity. For many being a genius is what defines them. Conversely being less intelligent is what makes a person unique for a multitude of reasons. 

The education system would have to be completely reformed. In theory we would all be getting the same test scores so how could society rationally allow every single person to do what it is they desire? Undoubtedly there is a real possibility that this higher intelligence could be industrialised or privatised. It may have to be payed for or earned and this leads to countless ethical and moral dilemmas as to who has control. This then leads to who would have the right to decide the best way to allow every single person to have this higher brain ability. In line with current political dogma we would elect or choose someone or conversely have one chosen for us. In reality though, even with the best intentions, no single individual would be given the right to dispense this power because knowledge is power. At best this question is one for society. Factors such as humanity, morality and ethics would have to be considered. A selected leader would have to consider the impact this higher intelligence would have on the broader society. Is there a way to categorise those who are deemed worthy or unworthy of this intellectual gift? Ultimately it will come down to a leader or leaders making hard choices. Society will have to endure the consequences

I'm sure that as you read this you believe that something else which makes us tick is more worthy of augmentation. Truly the brain is my preference but there is equal argument to enhance the heart so it never stops or the arms and legs so we have super strength. A very real future proposed by human augmentation is one where we no longer are closely related to our organic relatives but to our human computer.

Here is an interesting article on the subject and i urge you to read it if their blog post has sparked your curiosity on the subject.

On a side note if you want to, please make a comment below on what you would choose to augment and why. Thank you!

Science and Storytelling? You Bet it Works

Today one of the most pressing issues facing scientists is the inability of the scientific community to communicate with the wider society. Formulating an effective way of transmitting scientific ideas to those with no prior understanding has eluded scientists for centuries. However it seems that the answer can be found in an art form, which predates science by thousands of years. The art form in question is storytelling.

The issue with science today is that it can't explain itself to the general public. What this means is that science isn't able to "tell the story of science" (Kukaswadia, 2013) . Just like the latest novel you've read science has its beginnings, its middle bits and sometimes, particularly with research projects, an end. So why then is science not communicating through the medium of a story? It’s probably because most scientists don't realise that their personal journey is a story. Tell a member of the public about your research or hypothesis and they most likely wont understand or remember it. Present it like a story however and even if they don't understand it they will remember it. There is a certain tangibility associated with a story, which can transcend the factual contents of the story itself. Furthermore it can make the information transmitted more understandable through relatedness between the common and the scientific. By presenting scientific ideas as a story it forces science to level it's contents to that which can be understood by the common person. This is why it will undoubtedly help to extend the communication abilities of the community.

According to Nancy Duarte "the most effective presenters use the same techniques as great storytellers" (Duarte, 2012) and this is particularly relevant to science. Good science communicators can make complicated ideas simple without losing the intended meaning. 

A perfect example of this is the scientific series 'Cosmos', a carry on from Carl Sagan's original production. This show has received such critical acclaim because "If you listen to the creators of Cosmos you will hear the words Story and Storytelling uttered frequently" (Raynolds, 2014). This production team has managed to take topic such the birth of the universe, refraction of light and atomic particles and made them interesting, relevant and fun. Here is seen the execution of storytelling with science at its best. One does not need know anything prior. It raises the concept that if the scientific community as a whole could do the same then understanding of scientific concepts would be greatly extended beyond the community itself.

Scientific communication will be greatly enhanced and opened up to the general public through the medium of storytelling. Its use will be a critical factor in the long-term public interest with science and helping to inspire the scientists of the future.

 Sources:

DUARTE, N. 31/10/12 2012. Structure Your Presentation Like a Story. HBR Blog Netwrok [Online]. Available from: http://blogs.hbr.org/2012/10/structure-your-presentation-li/ [Accessed 1/5 2014].

KUKASWADIA, A. 24/6/13 2013. Science and Storytelling: The use of stories in science education. Available from: http://blogs.plos.org/scied/2013/06/24/science-and-storytelling-the-use-of-stories-in-science-education/ [Accessed 1/5/14 2014].

RAYNOLDS, G. 11/3/14 2014. More storytelling lessons from "Cosmos". Presentation Zen [Online]. Available from: http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2014/03/more-story-lessons-from-cosmos.html [Accessed 1/5 2014].

Image: http://astronaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/LR-Cosmos-Logo.jpg

Why Failure is Essential for Great Leadership

We've all had that sinking feeling in the pits of our stomach reading that latest test score or financial report and seeing what we don't like. I can guarantee that even if you tell your friends that you don't care, failure is a life shaping phenomenon. It can drive a knife right through your soul and close off potentials. At least that's what we're taught at school. I'm writing this blog today to show you that not only is failure an essential part of life, but that it's what turns leaders into great leaders.

Failure is a Part of Life
No matter who you are or what you do at some point you have failed at something. Whether you are willing to admit this is a different story! As you fill find on Forbes website "Successful leaders today need...a track record of failure". Many business people would throw their briefcases high in the air in disgust at this comment. We are forever being told 'failure bad, success good' and sure success is nice but failure makes up the stepping stones to success. So what really is failure then?

Understanding Failure for What it is
Success Magazine put it well that "society doesn't reward defeat" but when you look at it closely, failure is almost never defeat. Failure isn't just about not achieving your goals. The most successful people of our time have a track record of taking big risks with the real possibility of failure. Bill Gates's first business Traf-O-Data did not have any success and yet his determination led him to where he is today as one of the richest people on earth. Failure is all about giving something a go. You may not get out what you intended or get anything out at all but at least you've learnt from the experience. learning's which prove invaluable in the success of the next project. Here can be seen that failure isn't a dead end. Rather its a component of the path to success. We try and test and we fail only to take that failure and learn from it to improve our next venture. It raises the question 'how can we learn if we never fail?'. Of which the answer is remarkably straight forward, we cant.

Why is Failure so Good?
The basic plot line of any hero movie is that they face challenges and fail along the way to ultimate success. The reason why these movies have been modelled in this way is because it reflects how we perceive failure. We respect and admire those who have faced challenges and stumbled occasionally towards their goal. Huffington Post sums it up nicely in that "failure should not be a mark of shame, but a badge of honour showing the world that you are willing to try again". The leaders of the next generation need to have failed as some point. They have to have had the 'brought down to earth' sensation of reevaluating and reattempting a goal. As follows of these great leaders it helps us to know that those who we admire have gone through the same emotions as ourselves. It forms tie to that person as we can empathise and relate to their struggles.

All up?
Failure is no longer a mark of embarrassment. It's a way of showing others that they can trust you because you've been there and failed too. A leader could be anyone, however a great leader is born out of their failures. Nothing teaches a lesson harder than trying and failing but most often this gives birth to leadership brilliance.