WE all want to lead high-performance teams, right? Then we are all confronted with these questions:
How to manage a top team under pressure?
How to set high standards— and still not forget what is human?
How to address mistakes without blaming them?
How to motivate your employees over and over again?
Today, I wish to focus on “multidimensional leadership.” Our business environment is facing unprecedented change, becoming more complex and unpredictable day by day. Our current view of leadership tends to be one-dimensional, with one or two people at the top. In reality however, leadership is multidimensional. Exploring those different expressions offers a clear roadmap for leadership development. Here are five different expressions of leadership:
Leading from within—when we are leading from within, we remain flexible and open to outside influences but rely most heavily on our moral compass. We let go of performing and striving for approval and instead seek to lead according to our own values and principles. By leading from within, we remain centered in our own self-authority and strive to offer our best to the world every day. We lead by example through the integrity of our day-to-day activities and our leadership is nourishing.
Leading from the front—true “leaders from in front” inspire those who are following by providing a clear vision and direction, while at the same time encouraging connection and collaboration. Without a connection to people, leading from the front can be isolating and burdensome. The most important aspect of a leader in front is knowing when to sit down and move to leading from behind and encouraging others to take charge. This can foster a dynamic rather than static relationship between the leader and his or her world and encourage shared leadership throughout the organization.
Leader from behind—focuses on evoking the brilliance in others by championing them and coaching them through deep listening and powerful questions. It is important for leaders to have the ability to shift from leading from in front to leading from behind by being able to sit down and empower others to take charge. Note that sitting down does not mean sitting back. Leading from behind has tremendous influence and reach. By empowering others, “leaders from behind” leverage leadership throughout the organization and capture the breadth of talent and creativity available.
Leading from beside—co-leading consists of dividing responsibilities and a “your turn, my turn” way of doing things. Leading from beside is a true partnership, with both people being fully responsible for every part of the initiative. Dynamic and enthusiastic disagreement is an important aspect of leading from beside. There is none of us (or even a group of us) that has the whole answer to all the challenges we face. The more we can engage in enthusiastic disagreement with each other, the more we will be able to uncover the best in ourselves and each other.
Leading from the energetic field—there is an energetic field in every organization. Leading from the energetic field is about expanding our attention beyond individual people to connect with the energetic field, using our imagination, instinct, and intuition to access a deeper resonance. In leading from the energetic field, we refuse to accept that that the only thing that exists is the factual, pragmatic reality right in front of us. To create new ideas that are truly innovative, we must reach into the invisible and unseen with our intuition, instinct, and imagination.
Which of these expressions of leadership feel the most comfortable and familiar to you? Which one feels most challenging? Practicing expressions that are more unfamiliar will bring agility and range to your leadership. Experiencing and embracing failure is the best leadership practice of all.
Why am I focusing on new types of leadership? We are engaged in leadership training, both in open enrollment and in-house. I suggest you try us in leadership and strategic training, and in executive coaching. You can contact me at hjschumacher59@bianca
