What kind of leadership style helps engage your ecosystem?
Charles* wants to maximize his positive impact on society. He works for an international company in the textile industry. As soon as he has an idea, or as soon as he senses a potential gap in the company’s mission, he sounds the alarm. He shouts or gets carried away. He gets worked up. He gets worked up about everything, nonstop. While his commitment is recognized, his behavior isolates him. A vicious cycle sets in. Opportunities are missed. Frustrations intensify. So what should he do? Wear himself out trying to transform the company from the inside? Decide that change is impossible and leave the company?
A third path is possible. Charles takes a step back and makes his choice. He decides to stay. Resignation? No. He is clear-headed and at peace. He knows that, given his purpose, his skills, his desires, and the needs of his ecosystem, his balance and his value lie—for the time being—within the organization. However, he sets in motion a transformation of his leadership style. He frees himself from power struggles. He accepts the rough edges of reality. Instead of resisting the ocean’s waves and storms, putting up “danger” signs, and pushing to build concrete walls along the coastline, he decides to ride the waves alongside several fellow surfers from the company. He trusts in his passion and courage, cultivates his empathy, taps into his intuition, relies on his humility, and leverages his expertise in eco-design. He identifies potential sponsors and allies and determines what types of communication would be most effective.
The result? He teams up with a more visionary colleague and contributes his operational expertise. Together, they divide up the roles and identify the right opportunities to make an impact. Above all, they work to support a collective network of internal change agents. The idea is no longer to label what is right or wrong, but to share a vision and pinpoint the root causes of obstacles. The path to changing practices is co-created by those who walk it. Everyone has a space—a playground—dedicated to a shared purpose. * Case study based on real coaching sessions
*
The term “leadership” pushes us to our limits.
Some idolize it, others analyze it closely, and still others are wary of it. My goal is not to determine whether it’s good or bad to be a leader, nor to judge different leadership styles, much less to give you an arbitrary set of instructions.
What interests me is understanding the correlation between the level of engagement within an ecosystem and the stance taken by an agent of change. Because that is what leadership is: the influence an individual has on a group.
What kind of leadership are we talking about?
To have a positive and constructive influence, Charles—in his own way—followed the advice of Isaac Getz in his inspiring TEDx talk. He established conditions of fairness, personal growth, and leadership to collectively create a better future. Above all, he connected with himself, with his vision for the world, and with the diversity around him.
As you can see, for me, the challenge isn’t about being a controlling leader who pushes their teams to move in the “right direction.” Rather, the challenge is to be the leader of one’s own life and to contribute to one’s ecosystem in order to build the world we want to support.
TAKING ACTION FOR CHANGE
I can already anticipate reactions like: “OK, thanks, Nina. But then what do we do?”
Here are a few steps to get you started:
What are the sources of self-sabotage that prevent you from calmly embodying authentic and engaging leadership?
Tips: Check out this free test
In your project or assignment:
What is the intended positive impact for the beneficiaries?
Why is this important?
To achieve this, how much space and flexibility do you allow your ecosystem?
“Let’s dareto embody our leadership to co-create the world we want to see emerge”
Feel free to share your questions, answers, and thoughts in the comments or via private message. And if you like this article, the best way to show your appreciation is to share it!
Do you want to become the leader you envision for the world you hope to see? Is it time to discover and assert your leadership? Do you want to embed the concepts of positive impact and purpose at the heart of your organization? Is the challenge to accelerate engagement within your ecosystem to drive systemic change?
If your answer is yes and you’d like some guidance along the way, please contact me! Here’s a link to schedule a exploratory session and the form to further explore your goals and challenges.
