Go Lead Yourself Off A Cliff

I’m not a brilliant mind. I don’t break ground with these posts. This is common sense.

I am not a leader.

People don’t follow me; we move together. That is what I like about the people I work with. We generate ideas separately and share them. We agree upon a goal and, with collective buy-in, plan how to accomplish it.

When I manage a project, I simply act as one of the resources. I am the part of the machine that is responsible for keeping tabs on everything. I will make decisions based on the information available from the team members; so there is a directive component to the work. However, the decision making was completed at the beginning of the project when we agreed upon a goal. Decision making during the project isn’t leadership so much as problem solving.

I read lots of books on management styles and successful leaders (okay, not a lot lately; more listening), and they all seem to be leaning toward the inclusive styles of management. Specifically, the old fall-back Richard Florida makes a point of this in his descriptions of how the creative class is best managed.

If your leadership style is to expect everyone to blindly follow you over a cliff, then you assume you have a bunch of mindless employees.  This a dangerously condescending assumption.

Hopefully, your business/company is composed of intelligent people that were hired because of skill and a capacity for independent thought. Most successful businesses these days are.  In these companies, feedback is accepted and buy-in is important. I may not agree with all of your decision making; but if I trust that you have thought it through and may be trying something radical or innovative, I am more likely to follow you.

To that end, I believe that reframing yourself as a part of the team is important. People can still look to you as the ultimate decision maker. You will not lose your status or your ability to take a flying leap. Look at the platform you are afforded as a leader as the centerpiece instead of the pedestal.

Remember that pyramids; mountains; and even skyscrapers; don’t have a top when you’re looking at them from above.

I am open to the contrary idea that strong leadership requires heavy handedness. Have you ever had a dictatorial leader, or one that was secretive about the grand plan, that you really felt inspired to follow? Please share your thoughts.

-Bully