The future of work is changing, faster than ever due to the disruption of technology, aggravated by the pandemic.
While this is hardly a surprise, one need that remains constant or possibly even greater, however, is the need for effective leadership in the workplace.
I share a guide for business leaders looking to maximise their leadership impact. A result that has come about after my work with leaders from nearly 40 countries, this guide is your essential companion to developing agile leadership in our volatile world.
Before any business leader or executive dives right into the guide, it is important to first consider the definition of agile leadership. In my book titled ‘8 Paradoxes of Leadership Agility’, leadership agility (aka agile leadership) was defined as ‘the ability to navigate uncertainties and complexities with a sense of ease and authenticity.
As you lead teams and your organisation, there’s a high chance that you are also leading change, so take this opportunity to self-evaluate.
How are you navigating complexities and approaching uncertainties? Do you inspire confidence in your team, or are you stressed out about having to provide answers that you don’t have at the moment?
Consider where you currently stand on this spectrum of “agile leadership” and dive into the guide below.
This guide is organised into five inner voices. The voices were crafted with the belief that to lead teams ‘out there’, change must begin ‘in here’.
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Embracing these different voices and understanding their misconceptions help leaders develop an all-rounded leadership style that resonates with the diverse millennial and Gen Z workforce while also increasing their resilience, cultural leadership and overall innovativeness in the complex world.
Five voices of leadership
Captain
This voice guides leaders to know themselves first, as they focus on their own strengths and values before focusing on that of others. This helps leaders to change their perspectives from focusing on the gaps rather than celebrating the strengths of the team.
Misconceptions: Some leaders think they are self-aware enough. However, the reality is that self-awareness is a lifelong journey.
One never stops developing it. Further, the people whom you work with will always be changing, and the best way to be others aware is to first be self-aware.
Visionary
This voice helps leaders to cast a compelling vision on their team. Rather than blindly repeating the same message and mistakes, leaders can learn to communicate important messages to their team once they develop empathy to address the team’s aspirations and visions.
The message matters, and being able to cast and align the team’s goals with that of the company is crucial.
Misconceptions: Often, it’s not about having the end in the mind, because it might not be very possible these days. Think more of the impact and the values that undergird the purpose of the organisation.
Developer
This voice helps to ensure that younger employees who desire career progress, growth, and development achieve what they want in the agile organisation they work in. Whether it is through benefits and shifting visions, the developer’s voice helps leaders to reconsider the intangible rewards to share with their employees.
Misconceptions: Having the best intentions to help others grow is not enough. An effective leader in the VUCA world knows how to flex his style to suit the needs of his stakeholders. As the quote goes, “Teach me the way I want to be taught, not the way you want to teach me.”
Strategist
The voice of the strategist helps executives reflect on how they can help their organisation achieve and discover more with the diminishing resources available.
Working harder to deliver more is not sustainable, so the strategist considers how to meet increasing demands, retain talents by leveraging areas of the highest returns.
Misconceptions: This has little to do with working faster, but working smarter. It’s not thinking at the issue with the same level of consciousness. It’s also not a matter of IQ. Likewise, it’s a matter of reductionist thinking and stripping down the issue to the core, and reducing undesirable outcomes of diminishing returns despite working harder.
Agilist
The inner voice of the agilist helps leaders think in incremental steps. Instead of worrying about potential failures, the agilist voice informs the executive on how to navigate the next best way forward in any experiment with an objective perspective, changing course when needed.
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Misconceptions: Again, it’s not about being fast. Sometimes, being an agilist means taking the slower path for now. It’s not about changing for the sake of change, but to have strong reasons why something needs to be stopped, taken away, or continued.
These voices might sound daunting, but there is something in common: everyone has the potential to grow their five inner voices. Being aware of the five voices helps executives and managers discern new ways to achieve their goals, whether it is at work or beyond.
Every leader might even have a dominant voice that they lean towards, and this can be discovered through my Agile Leadership Evaluator where you’ll get to measure your level of agility. Once you get to know your dominant voice, you’ll know your own preferences and motivations.
At the same time, you might also start seeing gaps. If you could consistently work on the other voices while reflecting on what others around you need, you might start seeing better results in future projects and experiments in your line of work.
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