Leadership: Intangible Advantage

In all my intellectual interventions on development, growth, profitability and productivity, I have always emphasised leadership as a critical variable that will always deliver desirable results.

I have canvassed for the deepening of the decision data to capture the ever-enduring influence of leadership in organizations and government.

John F. Kennedy of blessed memory said that it is leadership that “lights up countries and sets citizens on fire” for productive actions and value-delivering efforts. Leadership stimulates creative energies of employees in organisations and citizens in nations. The faith and endeavour of the leader produce an all-inclusive engineering of the strength and vitality of people. Leadership is the enduring wealth of nations. When it is effectively and appropriately deployed, it grows tribes of citizens with the spirit of purpose, enterprise, human solidarity and social consciousness.

Leadership and leadership choices are the intangible critical components of strategy execution. Leadership paints the big picture by way of innovative culture and its capacity for execution, positive relationships and value-adding interconnectivity. It optimally revs up the human capital, creative ideas and skills, reputation and brand equity.

I always describe leadership as the new metrics of progress and prosperity. The intangible asset. The springboard for dramatic insight in decision making. The lever on which adaptive choices and system thinking pivots. It is the currency for forward change, growth and productivity. Leadership is the intangible asset that fundamentally defines and determines sustainable achievements. Its values include honesty, integrity, confidence, commitment, passion, accountability, communication skills, creativity, innovation, empowerment, sincere and determined efforts, industry, fidelity, assiduous activities and faithfulness to responsibilities.

Let us examine the productive power that leadership can generate in the tools and tactics of “Adaptive Leadership”.

First, adaptive leadership thrives in an organic process. Collaboratively engineered plans from the process progressively grow and change as we execute them. The differentiating attribute adaptive leadership rides on, is known as the improvisational quality. It makes plan inclusive because it is enacted with inputs and contributions by all levels of the organization. The diversified nature of the plan makes it accessible and valuable from different perspectives.

The beauty of the model is that all departments and functions have inputs. Leadership is not concentrated at the top. It can be leveraged by various levels of responsibility. That is, ownership is by all. It is organic and “comfortably” rests on the philosophy of ownership. In formulation and execution, every cadre has parts in analysis and actions.

As a result of the all-inclusive nature of the innovative plan, those who would have been diminishers will not have a choice but to support the change and therefore readily make sacrifices.

Adaptive leadership has a net positive effect because of its proactive approach. Progress is most times, guaranteed. This type of leadership effectively takes care of adaptive challenges (challenges that are not technical in nature). It is a deeper level of decision making because it takes care of the interests of all parties. The Vanguard Systems Thinking also becomes very useful in taking care of the interacting parts within the organic whole.

This creative approach to leadership not only identifies challenges, it diagnoses the entire system. Leadership at all levels is leveraged with collaborative efforts and fully mobilized commitment. The environment (internal and external) is taken care of. Since execution affects everybody, all hands are on deck. There is an inherent effect on the entire system, so everybody fully participates with a results-oriented mindset.

Adaptive leadership drives “purpose and possibility”. The organization is organic and not dysfunctional. Everybody is aligned to achieve results. This is very important because as we all know; most people are averse to change. This category of people oftentimes gets used to certain ways of doing things. Technical problems have clear solutions but adaptive challenges require learning and regularly add-on knowledge as well as new experience.

From what we mentioned above, the big advantage of adaptive leadership is that it ensures and guarantees a productive organization of equilibrium. Forward change is achieved without the usual conflict because what would have been conflicting interests are balanced. The change is agreed and the organic philosophy of ownership becomes the antidote for tension and conflict. Inherent risks are taken care of and employees’ commitment to the change reassuringly achieves productivity and growth.

There are some characteristics of adaptive leadership which are foundational to its success. They include good understanding and management of the organization’s culture. Managing culture for effectiveness facilitates change. Failure to do so will stand in the way of the change and will even obstruct sacrifices. Also, there must be clarity on benefits of the change to employees. This is an indispensable condition for buy-ins. All interventions by the leader must be explained. Arguments must be properly framed and clarified. The leader must let the workforce understand what is wrong and why it needs to be corrected. All employees must be “primed” ‘to be compelling allies and supportive stakeholders. Let them know the new initiative will benefit them.

It is very important that the leader, who epitomizes the system, must acknowledge that he too must be part of the new orientation, the new change culture. The leader like other team members, must play his expected role, make sacrifices and contribute to the adaptive change. He must not play the “ostrich”.

Adaptive leadership requires an expansion of informal authority. Effectively executing adaptive choices is a group effort. Leverage your vulnerability and bring those who are better skilled close to you. Tap from their skills and experience. Welcome and utilize their views and ideas.

Let me conclude with this definition of leadership. It is the exercise of goal-directed influence in a cost-effective way. It thrives on the deployment of emotional economy, synergy, and differentiating creative energies.

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