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Leadership: Hierarchy or Consensus?

8/16/2020

2 Comments

 
6 red chess pawns together and 1 black pawn apart
Image of a black pawn leading a group of red pawns, illustrating that leaders can be anyone from a group. Thanks to Markus Spiske and Pexels for this image https://www.pexels.com/@markusspiske
Leadership has been one of my special interests since I was a teen. My time in the Air Cadets followed by a military career, literally gave me decades to study and practice leadership. As a veteran, I lead different groups of people.

My core leadership values remain essentially the same as when I graduated from Military College. I continually adapt the practical application as I refine my leadership, by learning and adopting new techniques and tools. My leadership approach is pretty much the same whether someone has officially granted me the authority to lead or not.

I’ve held formal leadership roles as a senior officer, on not for profit boards, and in my professional associations. I’ve also acted as an informal leader in many different situations.

As a veteran, some people assume that the type of leadership I’m most comfortable with is a strict hierarchy, with top down direction.

I’ve come across hundreds of leadership models and definitions.  When I Googled “leadership definition” I was offered more than 2 billion places to visit.
 
I learned of the leadership model that most closely reflected my style as a military leader in 2000 or 2001, when I first learned of the Transformational Leadership model. In 1997, Peter Northouse wrote in the book Leadership: Theory and Practice that “… transformational leadership refers to the process whereby an individual engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower. This type of leader is attentive to the needs and motives of followers and tries to help followers reach their fullest potential.” This spoke to me, because I’ve long believed that leadership was about more than telling people what to do, and expecting them to do it.

Even in a hierarchical organization, you can choose to be a transformational leader, helping everyone on your team reach their full potential. I know that’s what I try to do.

I recognize that in many situations it is important to have a formal leader. In military units, it’s important to know who is the one responsible for making life and death decisions. In many organizations, it’s important to have a formal leader to make financial and other business decisions. Most communities have elected leaders, with one leader being responsible to speak on behalf of that community.

A few years ago, I learned that in Nunavut, in the lands we call Canada, the elected leaders work collaboratively when making decisions. Once a General election is over, the elected Members of the Legislative Assembly meet amongst themselves to elect the Speaker, Premier and Ministers in a secret ballot.  The process is open to the public. They also hold a Mid-Term Leadership Review.
 
Many of the leadership positions I’ve held as a volunteer came about by consensus, as all the volunteers involved met and decided who should be the titular head for our group.

Sometimes leadership opportunities show up when you least expect them. The challenge is determining if you have the energy, will and interest in taking on new leadership roles. If the leadership role is for an organization that shares your values, and is one that you feel you can do, then you owe it to yourself and the people you might lead, to invest the time to explore the opportunity further, before making your decision.

Sometimes, your knee jerk reaction is going to be “NO!” or “Why me?” I urge you to consider the impact you could have by taking on that type of new leadership role.
 
Your leadership opportunities could include roles such as: running for your municipal council, applying for a new job, or being nominated for a volunteer opportunity. If you think that you could be the right person for a new leadership role then I encourage you to go for it!

In answer to the question in the title “Leadership: hierarchy or consensus?” my answer is it depends. Not every decision is a binary one!
​
Which leadership model do you prefer?
2 Comments
Shawn Adams
8/21/2020 11:25:23 am

I love your post! That’s the type of stuff that excites me. I believe that I am a transformational leader style type person, too.
I always think of a buyer and a seller, I learned this very early with social connections with friends, modelled by ‘good’ teachers and I then applied my leadership in music roles and training & development of people at work. People will always buy-in when there is a benefit and when they are, and feel, involved in any process. A lot of people, leaders in particular, have yet to learn that this is not compromising to the point of loss, it is actually a win-win and usually, truth told, ends up bigger for the leader.
There are times when leadership is driven from the top, but I have found that this is rarely the most effective. Even when introducing new ideas, it’s important to get consensus and buy-in, and to demonstrate the benefit-it makes everything easier. One of the key factors I have noted in effective leadership is enthusiasm and energy, regardless of the situation.
Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts

Reply
Chantal Fraser link
8/22/2020 12:19:00 pm

Thank you Shawn!
I agree, when leaders involve their teams, respecting their feedback and ideas, it helps create buy-in and resilient teams. I'm a proponent for win-win strategies.
I think that it is particularly important when a team is trying to implement new ideas to clearly articulate what's in it for everyone on the team.
I'm honoured that you took the time to share your some of your thoughts on leadership here.

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    Author

    Blogs are on pause for a few weeks. Read the latest blog posted "Retelling my Story" to learn why.

    Hi, I'm Chantal Fraser, in March 2020, after a week of social distancing, and spending a lot more time on social media than I normally do, I realized a lot of my comments focus on the future.  I started to draft a LinkedIn post, then realized I could start a blog about the world I'd like to live in after COVID 19. 
    Now most of my posts are thoughts leadership, inclusion, networking, and the #NewNormal I'd like to help create, one where everyone can thrive.

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Empowered Path Inc. is located in Quinte West, Ontario, Canada.
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