LEADERSHIP – THREE QUALITIES. . .PART II

Given that rapid shifts, changes and transformations are THE NORM, there are a number of qualities that designated leaders must develop (or develop more fully). ‘Develop’ has to do with skill building such that the skill becomes ‘second nature’ and it has to do with ‘building capacity’ for developing a skill has little to do with one’s capacity to utilize the skill. Once one has ceased to build capacity one begins to lose capacity (e.g. once a weight lifter ceases to lift he or she will lose the capacity to lift). The ideal is that the designated leader will develop the qualities AND we do not live in an ideal world; therefore a designated leader, at minimum, needs to ensure that these qualities are available via others so they can be utilized. There are a number of qualities that designated leaders need to develop and build their capacity for utilizing; I am going to offer us three to consider: the capacity to synthesize, the capacity to innovate, and the capacity to be perceptive.

The Capacity to Synthesize: Designated leaders who have developed their capacity to synthesize are able to sort through and make sense of the tsunami amounts of information that wash over them (often on a daily basis). They have the capacity to identify what is crucial and what is important. They are then able to put this together (synthesize it) in meaningful ways that can be understood by others and when needed can then be powerfully utilized.

The Capacity to Innovate: Designated leaders who have developed their capacity to innovate are able to combine known disparate and perhaps ‘conflicting’ elements in ways that enable folks to effectively solve problems, embrace paradoxes and polarities, and resolve or dissolve both ‘right-right’ and ‘harm-harm’ dilemmas (today designated leaders are faced with many more paradoxes, polarities and dilemmas than problems to be solved).

The Capacity to Be Perceptive: Designated leaders who have developed their capacity to be perceptive have developed their intuition (so that they trust it). They are able to perceive the crucial and the important. They are able to perceive the ingredients that help people and processes function in certain ways (ways that contribute, for example). They are able to perceive a diversity of styles (thinking, learning, listening, communicating, etc.) and then use their capacity to innovate so that these styles work more in harmony than in dissonance.

Capacity Building: In order for one to build his or her capacity the following ingredients – based upon my experience – are necessary. (1) A ‘need’ to do so (a ‘want’ or a ‘desire’ or a ‘wish’ will not be sufficient); (2) A skill must be developed; (3) A support system must be put into place and then utilized; (3) Certain ingredients must be in place (a swimmer, for example, who wants to develop his or her capacity to swim 20 miles without stopping will need the following ingredients: water, the right suit, a coach, certain physical and mental exercises, a certain diet, and practice); (4) Practice of the right sort is crucial for practice does not make perfect – practice makes permanent; (5) Capacity building is, in effect, never-ending – when I cease to build my capacity I begin to lose capacity.

None of this is easy; but it is doable. When the going is particularly challenging I have found the following mantra to be helpful: ‘I can’t go on! I go on!