Future Proof
How to be a
VISIONARY LEADER
The nature of work is changing as the distinction between
managers and leaders dissolves.
M
anagers can no longer just ‘execute’;
they are part of the transformational
and innovation processes that the best
businesses need to survive and succeed.
Employees also need new levels of
awareness and competence to serve not just the bottom line
but the top line, too. These are where the key relationships exist
that drive competitive advantage.
Culture is shifting. Workers
have more diverse needs,
interests and lifestyles, and
the uniform application of HR
tools leaves them disengaged
and cynical.
Help people see
things differently
We need a new way of looking
at leadership. Poor managers
confront an employee’s way
of being and try to change
their needs, attitudes and
identity, while better ones
focus on actions. You can
spend a lot of time trying to
control behaviour at work,
with mixed success. The only
way of changing someone is by
shifting their perception of the
world, for example, by moving
them into a new role.
All of us, especially leaders,
should agonise less about
who we are and focus more
on the situations we are in,
challenging our perceptions
and helping our people see
things in new ways that can
energise and engage them.
Use a model that
empowers
At the same time, leaders can
now step up and advocate
Nigel Nicholson
Professor, London
Business School
london.edu
models of organisation and
leadership that we know,
from evolutionary biology,
empower, engage and perform
best in the digital age.
Companies such as video
game developer Valve and
Gore-Tex manufacturer
WL Gore have fluid non-
hierarchical structures, they
keep unit size small and have
no formal managers, which
allows leadership to function
organically. They encourage
learning from mistakes and
allow flexible self-organising
working practices to suit the
differing needs and interests
of employees.
Australian travel agency
Flight Centre has done this
consciously, organising itself
into highly empowered
and collaborative “families,
villages and tribes”. One of
the most valuable side effects
of this model is how effectively
it engages women and breaks
down the glass ceiling.
Issue 2 - 2017
17