“In A World Turned Upside Down, It’s Time To Find What’s Missing From Your Leadership!”
“As Leaders, we need a lake five miles wide and 25 miles deep!” [Tweet This]
Las Fallas
“Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment.” Ellis Peters
At 2PM every day throughout March the town square of Spain’s third city is witness to an intense firework display and the acrid smell of smoke vies in the air with the delectable fragrance of fried pastries in the streets.
This is the time of Las Fallas, Valencia’s most important celebration. It’s a festival of fire and art that welcomes spring and is as colourful as it’s noisy.
Wherever we are, spring provides the opportunity for reflection, for endings and new beginnings; because there’s something about this time of year that puts in mind thoughts of Wellness, Wellbeing and looking after and nourishing oneself.
Perhaps it’s the rebirth and renewal meme? Days are getting longer. The sap is rising. Footings are surer. Things are coming back to life.
Colours become more intense, and there is an increasing vitality and vibrancy with all things, as branches that have lost the last of their seeds, or keys, now start to become adorned with black buds that will soon burst forth into a riot of coloured flowering clusters.
It’s a time when we don’t have to keep our heads bowed against a brutal wind or try to imagine a different clime because right in front of us we can see things unfolding, to reveal a new landscape of possibilities.
So perhaps this is the time to exercise some self-care, create a strategy of kindness for ourselves, and reflect on what’s missing from our leadership, as we take steps to:
- Be a person of influence & a leader of change
- Become a storyteller and a story doer
- Demonstrate integrity, authority & passion
- Develop a ‘Grand Strategy’ to think total, whilst acting local
- Find our balance and our ‘True North’
- Give ourselves permission to be Bold
- Recharge our resilience and compassion, & rediscover our ‘Line of Duty’
- Reinvigorate our purpose; &
- Speak-out with moral conviction.
Things Are Both Complex & Complicated
“They that comply against their will/Are of their own opinion still.” Samuel Butler
The world has grown so complex that no single person — no matter how brilliant — can process all the relevant data before it has changed again.
However, to be a leader we don’t have to have all the answers, we just need to ask the right questions.
And to be a great leader we must be able to:
- Invite others to follow us because they want to
- Provide an environment where everyone can bring their best
- Consciously shape a culture of participation and cooperation, within which common goals can be held and pursued “in common’’; &
- Give people the space to “unfold their potential”, bring all they can to the table, and be present and intrinsically motivated, because we have focused on their vision first, before our own.
For a leader the team, trust and networks are critical for obvious reasons.
Successful leadership is, at root, about influencing others, and trust is the foundation of this ability to influence.
And as Samul Butler’s quote above aptly illustrates we can’t expect or compel someone to think or act in good faith just because we say so.
An effective team is bound together by trust, and a common, compelling purpose based on shared values, and in a genuine team, the bonds are so strong that teams members truly believe they will all succeed or fail together. There really is no ‘I’ in team!
Every team will also depend on the support and collaboration of outside actors and groups. So, the role of a leader is to proactively build and maintain a network of these outsiders, which includes not just those needed for the work of today but also those the group will need to achieve future goals.
However, as the wheel of life turns, we are reminded that we live in a relentlessly complex world and the only thing that remains constant is change.
To illustrate this just take the past six years. Over these 72 months the world has been turned upside down. Many conventions have been set aside, and it remains clear that things are not going to return to normal any time soon. So, what does that mean for our leadership?
We have all been ground down by what might be termed a period of permanent or perpetual crisis. For example:
- Brexit (2016)
- Covid (2020)
- An imminent ‘Climate Catastrophe’: As world leaders gathered in Glasgow for COP 26 the global significance of the event was made patently clear when it was announced we are “One minute to midnight” in the race to save the planet (2021); & now
- Russia invades the Ukraine (2022), and we could be facing World War 3 & global annellation by other means!!
An Imperfectly Perfect #Permacrisis
This is about as discombobulating as it gets. With each new crisis bringing in its wake multiple complex problems. Some solvable by experts i.e., Tame Problems, but most seemingly unsolvable, although they might be ameliorated with a collective response i.e., Wicked Problems.
And we are left feeling that there’s no break, or downtime; thanks in no small part to our smartphones and the posting of World War 3 memes et al all-over social media.
We are in thrall to an imperfectly perfect Permacrisis and a devastating impact is being felt on both macro and micro levels with:
- Deteriorating mental health and a growing global crisis across all age groups; figures have increased by an estimated 27.6% in the past two years alone
- An increasing strain on resources across the board, alongside a decline in ‘community’, and torpid progress in engaging with different models of coproduction in public services; &
- A ‘crisis fatigue’ which deflates energy levels and compounds the flat lining of our compassion as we tend to look inwards and focus on what feels safe and comprehensible, rather than outwards and expose ourselves to what is unknown, incomprehensible, or just plain scary .
It’s a heavy price to pay and this has been exacerbated by the incursion of Twitter into public discourse, together with the illiberal use of Catastrophising Language which acts as catnip to ‘doom-scrollers’ !
The 17th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes described life as “nasty, brutish & short” — A description which could so aptly apply to what takes place every second on Twitter.
Here the social media equivalent of la passiggiata takes place, but without the polite observance, decorum, or respect for position, convention, or place. Creating a Wild West of very public messages up to 280 characters in length, being sent more often or not between different factions, or tribes.
Psychologists find that we’re drawn to people who represent our tribe or group, and the Twitter model amplifies this, acting as the ultimate echo chamber.
In the vacuum created by Twitterisation, users become segmented into smaller & smaller divisions as they collocate around an identity and associated beliefs, and these sub-divisions become a prerequisite for thriving online as everything you believe in your tribe must be believed stridently, broadcast widely, and your allegiance to your ideology be all encompassing!
And as you take no prisoners, the more words of moral outrage that can be put in a tweet, the greater the traction, impact and influence.
It is the concept of social proof made flesh, and woe betide if you find yourself in a tribe that is on the wrong side of any virtuous signaling from the Hashtag — #BeKind brigade!
Whilst a 24-hour blitzkrieg of news from multiple media channels, using a business model designed to keep us glued to their websites with clickbait headlines, can make us fear for our safety and our sanity.
And this catastrophising language can become highly addictive as it leads many of us to check our smartphones multiple times a day as we jump from story to story.
So, a sanity-saving a tip: Always read at least as far as the third paragraph of any story!
Perhaps The Real Problem Is Not Too Much Complexity, It’s Too Little Caring?
All that volatility, uncertainty, confusion, and ambiguity adds up and its compound weight flattens our resolve, zaps our sap, and negates our compassion so we are left with a “compassion deficit.”
“Change may be endemic, but improvement is not.” [Tweet This]
This is a perennial challenge for all leaders whatever their sector, context, or the particular challenges they face.
Also, with the pace of change outrunning the mental bandwidth & resource capacity to match, leaders must also contend with:
- Continuing pressure to do more with less, whilst achieving increasingly complex & disparate outcomes; &
- A need to become ‘Game Changers’, by being able to radically rethink the Why, How and What they do in real-time.
Society has also become savvier, and more demanding, with increased expectations & changed perceptions of how public services should be managed & delivered. Whilst new technology has further increased expectations and directly impacts on service delivery.
As leaders are we facing up to our tame and wicked problems? Or does it all feel overwhelming. Are some issues just too big?
What are we not thinking about? What has been pushed back because it just feels too difficult, too complex?
There’s an adage that goes:
“If you pass it, you permit it!” [Tweet This]
And the poet Robert Browning nailed it when he penned the line, “What is heaven for if a person’s reach cannot exceed their grasp.”
This is not the time to regret that we didn’t act or do more. That we played safe. Or that we allowed ourselves to be sucker-punched by the false dichotomy of either/or. Shouldn’t it be, just Yes?
So, lets pause, reflect, and ask:
- What are we not thinking about and why?
- Are there other issues and challenges that we now need to consider?
- How should we rationalise and apply our professional judgement?
- Can the problem or issue be broken down?
- How should we act to protect what is core and distinctive?
- What will make things better or worse for the team and ourselves?
Perhaps it’s time for a Grand Strategy?
But First We Don’t Have To Fake It Till We Make It!
“And such events can make imposters of us all?” [Tweet This]
Imposter Syndrome has many faces and here are just five:
- Expert
- Natural Genius
- Perfectionist
- Soloist; &
- Superhero.
Feeling on the brink of being found out and exposed to ridicule and shame, is more common than we might think.
And the remedy is never as simple as telling ourselves that we can fake it until you make it.
Paradoxically though it does take courage to talk about being an ‘Imposter’.
So, let’s be Bold and try to remember:
- It’s very human and OK to fail
- We cannot fake it, we cannot predict it, so we must live it ; &
- Luck is made, not given i.e., to win the lottery we first need to buy a ticket!
Furthermore, “Confidence is not the equivalent of competence.” Keith Grint [Tweet This]
In Henry 1V, Part 1 — Act 1, Sc 2, young Prince Hal says:
Prior to becoming Henry V, he was rather enjoying himself romping & carousing with Falstaff, Pistol, Bardolph and the rest of his gang, but he was not being true or authentic.
However, did he choose not to reveal himself as the leader he could and would become, as this quote from the play suggests? Or was he unaware of what lay within and before him? Or perhaps he was just not ready to give of himself?
Remember that whilst leadership is about balance, judgment, and knowing what weight to carry and what to put to one side, it is also about authenticity and being prepared to give those things of ourselves that create connection, togetherness and represent the higher ideals of the team and what it can and must achieve.
A chemistry of connection that begins within and radiates outward, to create connections that enables others to feel seen, heard, respected, and cared for with a sense of trust and belonging.
This is an instinctive an innate quality, nurtured by mature reflection, positive self-regard, and self-awareness, and a good place to start is to try some reverse psychology, by reminding ourselves that confidence is not the equivalent of competence.
That the seemingly uber-confident person who makes us mindful of everything we are not, may not be that confident, or that good.
Down the centuries the apocryphal story of King Canute has been misremembered, and his intentions misunderstood.
Because this tale is not about an over-confident leader, arrogantly seeking to demonstrate their divine powers. In fact, quite the opposite, for Canute commanded the tide to recede to demonstrate the limits of his power, not its extent!
And a great leader knows their limits and surrounds themselves with equally great people who are a collection of “all the talents.”
We must Let go of perfect, and be truly kind to ourselves as well as others.
We must also understand that the universe is subject to the rule of rationality and reason, as the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Anaxagoras first conjectured over two thousand years ago in his molecular theory of matter.
So, Think Total, Act Local
“See first that the design is wise and just; that ascertained, pursue it resolutely.” William Shakespeare
The influential management thinker, educator and author Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, so as we consider how we can think total, but act local, let’s heed this warning.
Because just as our own character has countless nuances and traits, so does a culture, and these predetermine how things are done, what is ok and what is not, what values are followed, how people are treated, what fears are held, and how decisions are made.
Culture holds all the ‘unwritten laws’, so as we design a Grand Strategy let’s do it by taking the view from the balcony; the higher ground.
We may not have all the pieces but as Star War’s Jedi Master Yoda might put it, “The need to act is great with us!”
And it’s about seeking to understand then be understood, to leverage influence, to exercise rational choice, & to get it right, whilst accepting that it may not necessarily feel or be perfect. Indeed, it may even be a little rough around the edges, but that’s OK.
We must give ourselves the permission to be Bold, both in our vision and our leadership. Encouraging our team members to articulate their personal visions. Spending time with them to explore vision-overlap which will encourage even greater engagement and working with both the surface structure and deeper undercurrents.
The following model might provide a useful prompt and template for the creation of a strategy. Feel free to adapt and customise to the situation you find on the ground and when the design is wise and just, pursue it resolutely!
*1. Inner and Outer Layer Influences are: Inner — Attitudes, Ethics, Morals, Motivation, Purpose, Trust (In work examples include Team/Group/Department/Unit/Organisational — Phycological Contract); & Values: & Outer — Culture, Economy, Faith, Family, Team/Group, Organisation, Political, Societal & Technological.
* 2. Champions — Advocates, Connectors, Controllers & Experts
No Direction Home?
“Without a dream there is no reality” [Tweet This]
Day-in day-out we live 86,400 seconds and take around 22,000 breaths.
That’s how it was in 2021, and that’s how it is in 2022!
And paradox and ambiguity remain unavoidable, although standing in their midst can be the most alive place to be.
After these past six years few would doubt that we live in a crazy, mixed-up world — And one that can also be very terrifying too, as recent events around the globe continue to remind us.
We are bombarded by multiple stimuli day-in, day-out, but neuroscience confirms that we are capable of processing only a fraction of what is before and around us at any one time.
We have a multiverse of choice with change as a constant and prevailing force — Not always for good, but neither always for bad. Sometimes better, oft-times worse.
With this very much in mind, unhelpful thinking patterns, and worrying about things that can’t be changed, can become habitual and are damaging to both short-term productive thinking and long-term happiness.
However, whilst we can’t avoid negative thoughts altogether, we can get a grip on them, because we know when we’re not doing well.
So, maybe it’s time to have a strong word with ourselves, and “Get down in the Mudd!”
A Strategy Of Kindness
We are important and taking care of ourselves is important too, so let’s take this opportunity to create our own kindness strategy which includes Mindfulness.
When a thought pops up, we can think, “Am I going to delete it, defer it, or action it?”
Recent research has shown how cultivating an inner dialogue can boost critical thinking and open the mind to different perspectives. This can lead us away from stale assumptions towards a deeper and more powerful mode of thinking.
If this is coupled with the practice of extreme noticing we can rise above things to become singularly effective rather than being plural-y efficient. So, we should ask ourselves whether that thought is relevant, either now or later, and if it’s not going to be rid ourselves of it or move on.
And if through this inner debate we can loosen the hold that our thoughts and opinions have over us, we will become intellectually humble and make better decisions!
The pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Anaxagoras who popped up earlier in this piece wrote, “The mind is infinite, self-ruled, and mixed with nothing”.
That is, of course, until we fill it up with all the constant motion, commotion, and chatter of everyday life.
“Refuge for the brain is the mind, refuge for the mind is Mindfulness. This is the Way — The Mindful Way!” [Tweet This]
And the practice of Mindfulness can provide clarity and focus and enable better decision making; precisely because it allows us to let go of being judgemental, provides objective distance and reduces habitual, reactive, and ultimately reductive behaviour.
Let’s start being fully in the moment, learn to remain present, and develop technique and attitude through both formal and informal Mindful Breathing exercises and everyday activities such as Mindful Walking and Mindful Eating.
Let’s Start paying full Attention to everyday experiences, to notice what is happening as it happens, and to start single tasking rather than multi-tasking.
And this will all help us to become better leaders too, who are:
- Resilient, emotionally intelligent, and comfortable in our own skin
- Humble but possessing an intense professional will that enables us to balance gentleness with strength and a steely resolve
- Prepared to embrace failure, knowing this is the cauldron of learning and the birth-place of future success
- Compassionate and empathic
- Thoughtful, considered and deliberate in making and taking decisions
- Self-aware, and know how we come across to others, and are readily able to adapt for different audiences and situations
- Able to deal with all situations with a greater calm and equanimity
- Seeking first to understand before being understood
- Demonstrating greater clarity and precision of thought, as well as greater creativity, energy, insight and outsight, and a clearer sense of purpose; & finally
- Certain that our vision will be bigger and last longer than we will, if we invest in a culture that provides a clear purpose, compassionate support, and is transparent, inspiring and rewards creativity.
About The Author
Having written a million plus published words over the past couple of years on leadership excellence, navigating complexity, working with change, wellbeing, well doing and Mindfulness, Paul Mudd is about making the complicated less complex, the tough stuff not so tough and putting the unreachable within reach of everyone.
He is also a Trusted Adviser, Leadership Rockstar (Apparently), Savvy Thinker, International Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Mindfulness Author, Global Well Being & Well Doing Influencer, Co-Founder and Director of the Mudd Partnership and Co-Creator of the new tMP Hexagon Leadership & Coaching programme #ThinkHexagon © 2021
