84 Days of Leadership - where does that leave us?

Joke of the Post (from me):

Me: Knock Knock

You: Who’s there?

Me: A fascinating exploration of what lies at the core of leadership, and how we can prepare to face the complex challenges that are arising!

Here We Go

So I’m doing a course called Global Challenges. It’s been 12 weeks, and we are yet to actually solve any. But we’re on our way.

Coming into this course I thought we’d pick a new Global Challenge every week, research it, maybe discuss it a little, and then solve it and move on to the next week’s Challenge. (I’m only half joking)

But here I am, a whole semester in, and it’s been nothing like I expected.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So what have I learnt?

Nothing is Impossible

It might sound corny, but I really have learnt that no idea is too crazy if you have the right people to help you make it happen.

Take Boyan Slat for example. He dreamed of removing all the plastic from the world’s oceans and at age 16 came up with a revolutionary idea to make his dream a reality. Not many decision-makers around the world took him seriously.

It was only once he’d gathered a team of over 100 scientists and engineers that he was able to produce a legitimate feasibility study to show the world his plan could work. These experts were all volunteers, joining him solely because they believed in him and his vision.

Today, The Ocean Cleanup is preparing to launch its first plastic collection platform in early 2016. The majority of his original team are still involved, and nearly all of them are still volunteers.

Slat's ground-breaking design for ocean plastic removal in action

In today’s leadership-starved world there’s a lot of pressure to pretend that we know what we’re doing, and that we have all the answers, even when we don’t (D, Souza & Renner 2014). We feel isolated and incompetent, which makes any future success even less likely.

It’s ok to ask for help.

Admitting that we don’t know something is a sign of bravery, and surrounding ourselves with people who support us and keep us motivated is a key factor in the success equation.

Diversity is Essential 

Have you ever tried to solve a problem by yourself and failed time and time again, only to realise - when working with someone else - that it actually wasn’t that hard?

 

Ex-Police Commissioner and current 
leadership educator Christine Nixon tells how “the barriers separating you from success might not actually be there, they’re just in your head” (2015, pers. comm. 28 April) 

We can get trapped in certain patterns of thinking without even realising, thinking the world is against us when ultimately our mindset is the only thing holding us back. The best way to break free of these biases is to utilise the diverse thinking of others.

“The capacity to orchestrate multiple interpretations... is more likely to produce innovative insights than relying solely on one person’s viewpoint.” (Heifetz, Grashow& Linsky 2009). What better way to construct multiple interpretations than working with those around you?

So should you go along with everything that those you admire are doing? Does Heifetz, Grashow & Linsky’s “don’t do it alone” (2009) rule mean we should use other people’s ideas?

Not exactly...

You Have to be You

Instead of saying “I want to be the next Bill Gates/Steve Jobs/Boyan Slat”, we need to be saying “I want to be the next me.”

Sure, people before us have done amazing things, but if we aim to be exactly like them, not only will we be restricting our potential by imposing limits on our achievements; we’ll also come across as superficial and inauthentic. 

Leadership means seeing how someone else does it, liking the way they operate and still having the courage do it your own way. It’s about discussing, debating, trusting and leaning on each other.

Our individual ethical framework is thrust into the spotlight when we choose to embark on a journey of leadership (Northouse 2013). Real leadership demands working as part of a team, a global citizen who is part of a community. It doesn’t mean we have to compromise our personal values and morals.

Leadership is about giving your time, energy and resources -giving a part of yourself -  it’s not about receiving. 

Oh, and before I forget, I have to thank my Mum and Dad, Gabe, Shreeya, Steph, Rowan and the rest of the GC15 cohort for making this blog post possible. I couldn’t have done it without them.  

References:

Northouse, PG 2013, Leadership theory and practice (sixth edition), SAGE Publications, United States of America

D, Souza, S & Renner D 2014, Not Knowing. The art of turning uncertainty into opportunity, LID, New York

Heifetz, R, Grashow, A & Linsky, M 2009, The practice of adaptive leadership. Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world, Harvard Business Review Press, Boston

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