So if you have been following along you now know the first three leadership capacities I believe will be critical for remaining relevant as a leader: 1. Shift Perception; 2. Point Out a Clear Direction; and, 3. Have a Plan. Well, now you need to know about Capacity Four. Fasten your chin strap: this one’s a doozie. It will take me two posts to cover it.
Leadership Capacity 4: Be Inclusive. It is hard to know where to even start with this one.
If you are going to be relevant as a leader in the not-so-distant future, your role will be to release the collective intelligence of the tribe that forms around you. That is a loaded statement. I ask you to re-read it. Here’s the load.
First, do you know what “collective intelligence” is? Second, why did I chose the word “release” rather than develop, inspire, or some such? Third, why did I use the word “tribe”? Fourth, why did I choose the phrase “that forms around you?” Fifth, how could I possibly be so arrogant as to tell you that if you don’t master all that you will no longer be “relevant as a leader?” Within my self-imposed 500 word limit, there is simply no way I can get to all that.
Here’s the skinny. The current form of leadership you’ve been taught is separative in nature, somewhere between command-and-control and a benevolent dictatorship. Listen, let’s call a spade a shovel, shall we? The vast majority of leaders think they are not doing leadership like that, but honestly, what would we see if you and I were to do a cultural assessment, employee satisfaction survey and we looked at how your group handles conflict and creativity? Ninty-seven out of a hundred times I would find separative leadership. Ninty-seven out of a hundred times I’d find tremendous waste of time, people, ideas and money. I wouldn’t find inclusiveness, I’d find well-intentioned, benevolent separativeness.
So are you separative, or inclusive? It isn't all or nothing. It is a matter of degree. Here's the litmus test.
When you are under fire, do you become increasingly intense, controlling, harsh, or experience some other negative internal state? And does that internal state translate into any form of counterproductive behavior(s)? Yes, right? I am drilling you on this because we all want to be judged on our intentions, but what matters is our behaviors, our results.
So I don't care much at all about your intentions, and I won't cut you any slack when you are under pressure. Anyone can be a warrior when there is no war. Anyone can be inclusive in easy circumstances. But if you cannot carry the force of inclusiveness into the worst of situations--if you don't possess that level of self knowledge--then you do not possess the capacity of inclusiveness. Instead, you only show flashes of the potential of inclusiveness. And that will not be enough. Don't delude your self otherwise, nor indulge in judging your self on your intentions. That will get you nowhere.
In our next blog, we will look at the difference between separativeness and inclusiveness, and we will put a wrap on Leadership Capacity 4: Be Inclusive.
