"Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions." Bo Bennet
Leadership from the traditional point of view is often perceived from the angle of the position one occupies. This means that everyone looks up to the man at the top for direction and control. This Top-to-Bottom (Vertical) system means that except you are leading based on appointment, you may not be taken seriously.
Contemporary demands of globalization however show that there is growing different perception of the concept of leadership. Leadership is fast leaving the vertical for the horizontal, from top-to-bottom to the across platform.
Sounds much like the objective of John Maxwell in his book, The 360° Leader right? You do not have to be in a specially dedicated room, with a retinue of staff under you and all the paraphernalia to exhibit influence and make impact. This is the new face of leadership.
Collaboration Across Networks and Leadership by Influence
According to Tony Wagner, Expert in Residence at the Harvard University new Innovation Lab, while espousing the 7 Key Skills required for impact in the present globalized world economy of diversity, leadership is about how much you can engage with and influence decisions across networks. And you cannot possibly do this without being proactive, agile and adaptable.
Knowledge is a key resource in this equation. Such knowledge that is able to make meaningful impact via getting others to find meaning, achieve results and fulfillment in the workplace and beyond.
In this globalized setting, you can barely make any impression on people across different climes, temperatures and cultures if you do not possess the skills of diversity. To do this, you must be flexible and versatile. This is essential.
Or how else can you play in the present arrangement where colleagues are not confined to rooms or workstations in the same office? The scenario has changed and may never return to status quo ever. To play influentially therefore, you have to brace up to the challenge.
How do I Hone this Skill?
That is the big question you should ask because there is no escaping it except of course you do not seek impact in this new world global economy. To answer this skill requirement question, you need to address your mind to similar questions:
- How InfoTech compliant are you?
- How cultures compliant are you?
- How learner-friendly are you?
- How adaptable are you?
- How much of collaboration can you do?
- How curious are you?
- How much are you able to confront the difficult questions?
- How much of what you learn do you apply?
These are some of the many questions you must practically apply yourself to if value and impact on a global or indeed any scale means anything to you.
The concept of leadership has indeed metamorphosed beyond the traditional and you may need to adjust to being comfortable in discomfort if you want to be taken seriously.
Markets, Schools, Work, Products, Processes, Thinking and indeed everything has changed and are changing continuously at an exponential rate.
The man with the correct update and nifty skills is the one who wears the cap of leadership because his influence goes across networks/the globe within split seconds.
Can you spend some time to ponder on these issues? If you are sincere in this exercise, you should achieve a phenomenal shift in the value space and make impact.
