LEADERSHIP
namely: pro-active adaptability, sensitive communication, the ability to engage in critical thinking and to create synergy. Today’s leaders do not have the answers to all the questions raised by the evolution of the business environment, affecting both internal corporate processes and external forms of co-operation between organisations. Deep leaders need to be ready to admit their ignorance openly and candidly and to call upon all partners, including NOI, to find the required solutions to the problems at hand. That will require an ability to let go of parts of the past quickly, unlearn what is not necessary, be open-minded and quick at adapting to change. Deep leaders have to demonstrate a calm and serene attitude and convey a sense of realistic optimism, reinforced by a strong belief in people’s ability to handle complex and daunting problems. This implies some kind of creative listening and the ability to be empathic about the mixed feelings of people who are experiencing personal and collective uncertainty. Critical thinking will also be of vital importance. Leaders must look at each situation as it occurs and never stop challenging current assumptions to make sure that absolutely nothing is
We should dispense with the idea of it being only leaders who decide what the future will look like for the team, the company and society. Clearly, one must reinvent leadership, transforming it into a collaborative process, bearing in mind the words of Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists.” Reinventing leadership implies tracing it back to its roots and reconnecting it to its social power, making it humanistic and future-driven. We call this ‘deep leadership’, and it is an approach that has already been adopted in some of the more progressive organisations. Deep leadership also implies having a philosophical view of life. It is about the ability to ask questions and be brave, open-minded and non-judgemental. Such leaders can see the world’s picture, accept multiple perspectives and adapt to a situation even without having specialist knowledge. Perhaps we need to rediscover Plato’s idea of the ‘philosophical leader’ ( see box opposite ). So, are you ready for this new leadership drive? Perhaps the following questions will help you to make up your mind. Answering yes or no, do you think of yourself as someone who can do the following: take uncertainty well; turn a problem into an opportunity; believe in owning your decisions and actions; rely on your ability to reinvent yourself; relish facing an unexpected challenge; and enjoy moving from one task to another? Other considerations include sharing power and responsibility with others; trusting non-organic intelligence; initiating change at your own risk; and realising that “the only thing that leaders can control is the interpretation of things”. This is what the new type of organisation and deep leadership would be based on, so reflect on what it means for you, as well as the actions you would need to take at this point in time to get a head start in the new world order. Let’s turn now to what could constitute a good starting point for becoming ready to face the world of work as it might look tomorrow. A brand new start One of today’s most critical questions is: What kind of skills will these deep leaders need to possess in order to effectively tackle future challenges? Assuming that they will face a totally unexpected set of problems, we believe that there are four fundamental skills that are essential when it comes to mastering the looming uncertainty of the business landscape that lies ahead,
taken for granted. They need to be fearless in asking questions that they do not yet have the answers to and use lateral thinking to examine the situation from multiple perspectives. This new type of leader should set up a creative environment in which people are inspired to invent new ways of defining things, as new challenges require novel ways of thinking and feeling. It is about collective synergy and requires being open to the idea of exploring and rethinking how an organisation should work. The past has taught us that there are indeed times when people are better off without out-of-touch and unprincipled leaders. We need deep leaders who can think practically, intuitively and ethically, shed light on the future, forge strong links with their partners and trust people to empower themselves in order to find meaningful solutions for any challenges that may arise.
BIOGRAPHIES Professor Pierre Casse is the leadership chair at IEDC-Bled School of Management in Slovenia and the author of Leadership Without Concessions and Leadership for a New World . He is also the co-author with Paul George Claudel of the books, Leading with Wisdom and The Philosophical Leader: How Philosophy Can Turn People into More Effective Leaders . Elnura Irmatova is a researcher and DBA candidate at the school
Ambition | MAY 2023 | 43
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