The rise of the systemic leader
As we move deeper into the 21st century, the need for systemic leaders becomes ever greater. Yet many leaders’ ability to tackle complex problems is limited by how they think about and approach these problems, particularly when it comes to collaborating with others.
Globally, we face a host of complex problems beyond the reach of any single group or organisation. Issues like climate change, an ageing population and the rapid destruction of ecosystems are just a few examples. In business, disruptive change is being felt across most industries. Dealing with these challenges requires unprecedented levels of collaboration among different organisations, institutions and countries.
Unfortunately, too many leaders are failing to truly harness the collective energies and intelligence of their colleagues, stakeholders and partners.Here are just three examples of how conventional thinking is holding back many leaders in their quest to collectively tackle the challenges of the 21st century:
Individualist Paradigm
Deep within the Western mindset is the long-held notion that great things are done by great individuals. While geniuses emerge from time to time, most great achievements have been created through the collective efforts of a diverse group coming together to collaborate on a shared purpose.Yet,many of our leaders come through an education system that focuses primarily on individual performance. This is promoted further when we enter the world of employment.
“Yet, many of our leaders come through an education system that focuses primarily on individual performance.”
As a result, too many leaders become consumed by their own performance and too attached to their own thinking. Instead of truly collaborating with others, the instincts tend to be far more competitive. Individual agendas and opinions vie for supremacy, preventing people from harnessing the collective contributions of the people around them.
We need leaders whose self-esteem is not completely wedded to their individual performance and achievements. These leaders are far more connected to ‘what a situation requires of them’ rather than ‘what they can get from the situation’. They learn to get as much satisfaction from contributing to a wider purpose and the collective achievements of those with whom they collaborate.
Increased Specialisation
In the early years of the industrial revolution, Adam Smith popularised the concept of ‘division of labour’ as a way of significantly increasing productivity and economic growth.This led to the breaking down of large jobs into many components so that each worker became an expert
in one isolated area of production.This became a foundation of mass production factories and a blueprint for most corporate organisations today.
However, our obsession with ‘division of labour’ and increased specialisation has created fragmented organisations and views of the world. As a result, too many leaders seek to optimise the performance of their discrete parts of the organisation without consideration to the health of the whole ‘system’ (organisation). At the same time, technical ‘experts’ put forward ‘blinkered’ solutions to complex problems. Different perspectives often become the source of disagreement and conflict instead of enriching understanding of the complexity of many situations.
“Too many leaders seek to optimise the performance of their discrete parts of the organisation without consideration to the health of the whole ‘system’ (organisation).”
We need Leaders who realise that most of the time, they approach systemic problems with a fragment of the whole picture. By regularly going beyond what they know, they can work with different stakeholders to put as many of the fragments together. This is a pre-requisite for understanding and tackling the many complex problems facing business and the world at large.
Fast Pace of Work
As technology advances, so the pace of life seems to have increased. Leaders often feel a sense of urgency to get problems fixed quickly. Unfortunately, this often results in only the most visible symptoms of a problem being tackled. The deeper causes tend to go unexamined.
The problem is that short-sighted actions result in short-term solutions and unintended longer-term consequences.When systemic issues are not probably understood, the problem either keeps re-appearing or gets shifted to another part of the ‘system’.
We need leaders who understand that the pace of change has to be balanced with understanding the complexity of many of the challenges. It’s important to know when to ‘slow down’ as well as speed up.
“Its important to know when to ‘slow down’ as well as speed up”
The Rise of the Systemic Leader
What’s needed in the 21st century are more leaders who can think systemically and collaborate more whole-heartedly. These are leaders who do not feel ashamed about the ‘limits’ of their expertise, avoid the temptation to shift blame onto others and naturally seek out an understanding of the interconnected parts of any issue.
Systemic leaders are also able to see beyond the attraction of short-termism, self-interest and protectionism. They know that longer-term success is increasingly connected to the level of genuine collaboration within their own organisation, with their partners and the larger ecosystem in which they operate.
“What’s needed in the 21st century are more leaders who can think systemically and collaborate more whole-heartedly.”
Author: Alex Hayward is an executive coach and founder of Lattitude Consultancy. We work with leaders, organisations or any group that is seeking to accelerate positive systemic change.
