Time Out Abuja
Entrepreneurship
Leading despite the odds!
The way we work is shifting. We see that in subtle ways
The Future of WORK- The Art
and other times in not so subtle ways. Even traditional
of Collaborative LEADERSHIP
companies like Deloitte are investing in people
development, realizing that it is the best resource they
by Monique Svazlian, CPCC
have to stay ahead of the curve. Those with a real
Women's Leadership Expert, Coach,
competitive advantage intuitively understand innovation
and creativity as essential to meeting market demands
Facilitator, Speaker, Truth Seeker
and crucial in facing our collective sustainability of the biggest challenges to overcome. Learning to let go and trust
challenges. The future of work as we know it is shifting others is crucial to create the space for brilliance to shine. Finding
from an outdated directive approach toward collaborative
the balance is where this practice becomes an art form.
frameworks that inspire us to engage in new and different
Vulnerability as Strength
ways with our work and with each other.
The single most significant piece of learning for me has been
This elusive concept has always intrigued and intimidated
around understanding how vulnerability is the key to success in
me, so I began to question my own assumptions I held any collaborative process. We've got it all wrong in our work ethos.
about collaboration. One of my current projects has given We believe vulnerability is a weakness. We are afraid to admit we
me an opportunity to explore and experience my own
don't have the answer for fear of being seen as incompetent. Our
leadership in a collaborative environment. For the last six need to prove our worth and value and the fear of shame all leads
months, I have been co-designing and co-hosting the
to creating separation. What I have found over and over again in
Women & Power Leadership Forum, using collaborative
my leadership journey is that when I am wiling to be vulnerable,
processes based on Art of Hosting principles. Together share my true feelings no matter how embarrassing or weak I may
with Kathy Jourdain (an experienced steward in the work
be perceived, when I am able to truly listen to feedback and be
of Art of Hosting), whom I thank from the bottom of my
willing to receive it without taking it personally, these acts are
heart for embodying collaborative leadership so
powerful beyond measure. This is a secret superpower that
beautifully and supporting my discovery of this, as well as everyone possesses, but not everyone has the courage to enact. It
a wonderful hosting team, this experience has provided takes a willingness to fail and learn from your mistakes, to risk the
rich learning for all of us in exploring what it means to be shame that comes along with it. But the rewards are bountiful. It's
collaborative and uncovering the traits required to
the quickest route to creating trust in any relationship or group
cultivate It. process. It creates an environment where others feel able to open
up and share their feelings, stimulating input, ideas and solutions.
Decision by Consensus?
It allows us to be human, and realize that we are all in this
One of the big beliefs I made up about collaborative work together. It opens up our hearts and reminds us that it's not about
was that one most come to decisions by consensus; if
the bottom line, or even the next big idea. It's about being in
there were any outliers, you could not forge ahead. This
relationship; the learning and experiences that show us who we
seemed an exhaustive and almost impossible task when
truly are.
you think about how hard it is to get a group of people to
agree on anything. Just look at what happened with the
Gratitude
Occupy Movement -- decision by consensus just doesn't I would not have had the chance to be in this learning process if it
work especially when you're talking about scalability. To
weren't for some pretty spectacular women. I'm humbled by the
my relief, I discovered making the final decision wasn't as
experience of working in collaboration with women who have
crucial as was the process i