We lead by being human. We do not lead by being corporate, by being professional or by being institutional - Paul Hawken

Organisations, much like human beings, typically grow from courtship and infancy stages to bureaucracy and later death:

Courtship: Emphasis is on ideas and the possibilities the future offers. The would-be founder is working hardest on trying to convince himself that his idea will be a successful one. He works on building commitment.

Infancy: The focus shifts from ideas and possibilities to the production of results. The company is product orientated and needs to sell, sell, sell. There are few systems, rules or policies.

Child (wild years): the company is not only surviving, it is flourishing. The sales orientation is addictive and more means better. Arrogance and lack of focus is a real possibility.

Adolescence: Conflict and inconsistency become characteristic. Authority has to be delegated. The change is from entrepreneurship to professional management. The challenge is to work smarter.

Prime: The organisation is led by a message – a vision of its reason for being. The people believe that what they are doing is important. They know the what, why and how. Decision-making is not dominated by an individual or a small group. There are institutionalised processes of governance. The danger is complacency, risk avoidance and order for the sake of order.

Aristocracy: People want less conflict and less change. An ‘old buddy’ network emerges. There is a steadily increase in distance between the organisation and its clients. There are reduced expectations of growth. The focus is on past achievements rather than future visions. Formal dress, address and tradition are valued.

Bureaucracy and death: Problems get personalised. Paranoia freezes the organisation. Internal turf wars absorb everyone. Nobody has time to deal with the needs of customers. Many systems serve little functional purpose. Eventually lack of resources to reward members for working means death of the organisation.
(See Managing Corporate Lifecycles by Ichak Adizes)

The different stages in the cycle present leaders with different challenges. As much as we, as leaders, try to influence others, we are also influenced by them and collectively by the organisations we work for. The demands and dynamics of the organisation in various stages can however influence us to adapt a style of behaviour that is inconsistent with who we really are. For instance an aggressive, arrogant and authoritarian person in the adolescent stage of the organisation. Or a formal and withdrawn person in the aristocratic or bureaucratic stages. It is easy to build perceptions about what is required in a corporate culture or what it means to be professional. We form ideas about what the political correct way in those environments is. The question is when do we become inauthentic? When are we led more by our perceptions of the kind of persons we ought to be at work, rather than what we really believe in. At what point do we start behaving in ways that our family members, for instance, would find disconcerting and inconsistent with our character? How much damage do we do to ourselves and others before we reach the point when we might ask ourselves with shock: Was that really me who said that or entertained that thought? How did I become such a person?

It is in this context that I believe that Paul Hawken reminds us of a wonderful truth: We lead by being human. We do not lead by being corporate, by being professional or by being institutional. Being human means that we are imperfect. It means that we often wonder about life … and about death. We often doubt. We get hurt by what others say or do, or didn’t say or do. We need to feel loved and appreciated. We feel alone. We do feel pressure and we can feel lack of meaning or significance. We cannot always explain our feelings. We have personal dreams and desires.

If we try to hide our human side to our fellow workers or those we lead, it is to the detriment of our leadership effectiveness. By trying to hide it from others we simultaneously send out the message that we expect others to do the same. The implicit message is we do not care about and are not interested in our fellow workers. Our only concern is the work they have or haven’t done. Am I saying that leaders should have a daily session where they inform everyone about their emotions and personal struggles or joys? No. I do say however that to lead and to be human is not a contradiction. Leaders should be comfortable with their own vulnerability and willing to share those feelings in the right context. They also should have and demonstrate a real interest in the fundamental human concerns of other people at work.

African Renaissance

Did you know that …?

In traditional African culture the chief is not untouchable but accountable to his followers? There is an African proverb saying: ‘The boat shows respect for the water, just as the water shows respect for the boat’ This demands that superiors and inferiors display mutual respect. Another proverb says: ‘When the river roars, rocks and stones are hidden in it.’ This means that the chief can be angry only because he has inferiors - without these, he would have no kind of rank and dignity. He in turn must show respect in his dealings with the inferiors who are entrusted to his care; and in fact he can be deposed by them.

Best wishes for the month of March.

Regards