Becoming a Full-spectrum Leader
Leaders balance physical, emotional, analytical, spiritual, systems, cultural and collective intelligence.
If you are like most people, you ask yourself many questions.
Why are some people bad managers? Why do so many people feel insecure and fearful? Why are others so cynical and judgmental? What makes them great leaders and great managers? Can anybody become a great manager and a great leader and what does it take?
Why do so many organizational managers operate mediocre organizations and struggle to bring the best out of their people? What is the reason for the immense success of some organizations and the failure of others?
The Journey from an Expert to a great Manager and a great Leader
I remember the times when I was making my first steps into management. I have also been fortunate to be part of the lives of many others making their first steps into management. The feeling is of pride, commitment and desire for excellence but often also frustration, anxiety and helplessness because the game has changed.
As experts, we know what we have to do. We were promoted because we are knowledgeable and competent. We have the answers. We strive to be effective, efficient, and productive. We are proud to be high achievers- committed and striving to be the best. We like taking control and we love producing results. However, as we start being responsible to achieve results through others, things become not so straightforward. It feels like we are constantly on a stage exhibiting parts of our character we never knew, and it gets more and more complex and difficult to produce sustainable quality results through others.
It often takes many years before understanding and mastering our own personal dynamics as a leader, as well as the dynamics of the organization we lead. That is if they are surrounded by the right role models, and exposed to the right learning opportunities.
I feel blessed for having the opportunity to see so many times the sparkle in people’s eyes when they understand where on their journey from management to leadership they are, what’s ahead, what holds them back and how to move forward. Going through the Leadership Assessment and Coaching process of the Barrett Values Centre methodology we use allows people to address what holds them back so that they can unleash and elicit the innate greatness they have.
Becoming a Full-spectrum Leader
Full-spectrum is not about mastering one aspect of your life or a specific type of intelligence. It is about mastering and balancing all aspects of who you are: your body, mind, heart and soul.
One of the definitions that I have come to love is the definition of John Mackey, co-CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods Market. According to him leaders today need “analytical, spiritual, emotional, and systems intelligence. Analytical intelligence is what we teach in schools and entails dividing things up to understand them. Systems intelligence is the opposite” — understanding how the puzzle fits together and what the interdependencies are. Emotional, mental and spiritual intelligence is about becoming aware of our own needs and successfully fostering the evolution of our consciousness from ego to soul. I would add to that also cultural intelligence and collective intelligence which help us thrive in diverse environments and foster the collective intelligence of groups.
Originally published at https://medium.com on June 17, 2016.
