Effective leaders lead with questions. Sounds simple, but leading without knowing (aka leading with questions) is a courageous step for many leaders. Like many leaders you might wonder how you can justify your status and pay if you show up with “Here’s the challenge. What are your thoughts?” instead of providing answers and giving directions.
The bad news is that you don’t have all the answers as you operate in a complex and uncertain environment. The good news is that leading in complexity and uncertainty requires a set of skills and habits which very much make you an effective leader and worth every penny.
The ability to broaden your vision
Leading in complexity requires the ability to broaden your vision. And that requires your willingness and ability to step into others’ shoes to see the world through their eyes. When their perspective is different from yours, that’s harder than you might think. Indeed, the ability to do this is rare, and it requires personal development. Just imagine bumping into someone who does not share your values, views and behaviours. Are you curious to learn more about their perspective?
A metaphor for holding your own views lightly is that of imagining them to be like a jacket. You can take off this jacket for a moment as you listen to someone else. The reason you can take it off is that you know that you ARE NOT the jacket, you simply HAVE the jacket. In adult development words this means: You ARE NOT your beliefs and views. Instead, you have these beliefs and views, and you are able to suspend them for a while when you choose to do so.
The ability to support others in expanding their perspectives
Leading in complexity requires the ability to support others in expanding their perspectives so that they can see beyond what they know to be right or wrong, relevant, or how things should be done. To stretch beyond our own perspectives, to take off that jacket when we engage with people and situations is crucial in a complex world. When we can see issues from different perspectives, we can start seeing more of the whole picture, collaborate with more ease and co-create better solutions.
Do you want to be a more effective leader in your complex and uncertain environment? Do you want your leaders to lean into complexity and uncertainty with more ease? Then get in touch with us for a no obligation conversation.
