Fast Company, "The Leader of the Future" by William C. Taylor, June '99, pages 130 - 138

Courage to face reality, humility to admit that you don't have all the answers, and commitment to make change are the qualities a leader of the future needs. According to Ronald Heifetz, director of the Leadership Education Project at Harvard, a leader poses well-structured questions, looking to the organization for input, and isn't the one with all the answers or the vision for the company. Leaders need to lead people in conversation about what's important and what's not, to look at the company's values and assumptions.

It's not easy, and it does take time, to get the group's input. But, it's important to listen and ask questions. Most people in leadership positions want to feel important. They like to have all the answers and not listen, but one person can't have all the answers. The answers need to come from the group.

Leaders also need people to turn to within the organization and outside the organization for support, especially when difficult decisions are made and when they fail. To maintain sanity, Heifetz recommends keeping oneself separate from one's role and not take things personally. The reward of good leadership comes in creating value and meaning in people's lives.

Leaders need to have an 'experimental mind-set,' according to Heifetz, realizing that some decisions work and some don't. Every decision teaches, facing reality means facing mistakes. Along with facing reality comes facing conflict. Heifetz sees conflict as "the primary engine of creativity and innovation." We learn and grow by encountering difference.

This article reminded me of the situation at teaching hospitals, with doctors, residents, interns, and fellows working in teams. The doctor is not the know it all. He/she looks to the others for input. Many minds are working together coming up with the best diagnosis and treatment.

There are a lot of workshops on leadership, in extension and everywhere. Staff who are not in positions of authority can be the leaders who bring an idea to attention appropriately, and provide the leadership for change to occur. It's important to choose tactics wisely in bringing ideas to attention when you're not in authority because people don't have much patience for individual ideas.

In my position in the county office, I haven't been involved in any decision-making for the office or asked for my input in the county's decisions. I have only made decisions in my own specialty, horticulture, often after consulting with my immediate supervisor. I've wanted to see more input from everyone in the office since we all affect each other and are the representatives of the organization's values and mission. When issues and challenges arise, they need to be met by the people who are involved.

In our Hennepin County Extension Office, we just started meeting as a whole staff. We started by getting to know each other, under the premise that if we know each other as individuals, we will be able to better work together. This reminds me of education theories, that by developing relationships, we can build trust and an open atmosphere and better learn together. In the same way, we can better work together, and contribute our ideas to the whole organization.

More communication and input into problem solving in the overall Extension Service would be beneficial too. This would take more time, but would lead to a more healthy organization. People feel more dedication and commitment to an organization and its mission when they have input into decisions.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 1999

Answers

Jane, Good observations. Well written.

It is often said that success in the workplace is dependent more upon communication than computation (Accountants don't like to hear that). Keep up the great work!

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999