Organizational Level Leadership: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Every aspiring Army officer dreams of the day they’ll get to be a platoon leader. Officers in training are constantly thinking about it, wondering what it will be like. As a young cadet, I was no different. When the opportunity finally arrived for me to lead a platoon, I loved it. I really did. Many of my fondest memories are of time spent with my team, our team. I also formed many of my most cherished relationships during that time. We had hard times, sure. But things were fun. Exciting. I felt needed and alive. The ability to be with the team daily, where the rubber truly met the road, to overcome challenges and share in successes, was exhilarating.

While leading those 40 soldiers, I learned lessons about people and about myself that impacted the rest of my Army career for the better. But every Army officer knows that the longer they stay in the profession of arms, the further they’ll get from soldiers. The further they’ll get from being able to “reach out and touch” those they lead. Some dread the thought so much that they elect to leave and pursue opportunities to lead in other environments. “I could never lead from behind a desk,” they grumble.

But I stayed. And the longer I stayed, the further away I got from “where the rubber met the road.” But I learned some important things along the way, not the least of which was that leading occurred in many environments, none of which were from behind a desk. I also learned that as I gained more responsibility, the leadership challenges I faced increased in complexity. I liked the challenge. My ability to have long term impact on the organization increased. I liked that challenge too. My ability to have a greater impact on others increased and I found richer purpose in that. But I also learned that if I had any hope of successfully leading my team without being able to “reach out and touch” those I was responsible for leading, I was going to have to embrace the principles of organizational leadership. To have the greatest impact on the team, I would need to grow from being a direct level leader to being an organizational level leader. I would have to learn how to lead when I was no longer “where the rubber met the road.”

The US Army defines direct leadership as “face-to-face or first-line leadership that generally occurs in organizations where subordinates see their leaders all the time.” Direct level leaders serve “where the rubber meets the road.” They lead restaurants, constructions sites, small churches, sports teams, and many other teams that typically range from just a few team members to dozens. Their day-to-day involvement in what the team is doing is very important for the success of the team.

Organizational leaders on the other hand “exercise leadership through subordinate leaders who are responsible for leading the various teams that make up the larger organization.” Where direct level leaders generally experience a high degree of certainty and less complexity because of their close physical proximity to their team members, organizational level leaders operate and make decisions in a more uncertain and complex environment. They have the greatest impact on their team by building and maintaining a healthy climate, establishing clear priorities, instituting meaningful policies, improving the larger team’s processes, and communicating clear intent as a means for direct level leaders to demonstrate initiative.

Organizational level leaders operate in the space between the direct level and senior level of leadership. This requires them to understand the challenges their subordinate leaders face as well as understand the intent and vision of the senior leaders above them in the organization’s hierarchy. Organizational level leaders must also anticipate and mitigate future challenges their subordinates may face and manage critical transitions between phases of the their team’s operations.

As a result, organizational level leaders simply cannot be, nor should they be, “where the rubber meets the road” every day. Yet, many struggle to make the change. This is due in large part to the fact that most leaders who earn the privilege of leading at the organizational level were outstanding direct level leaders. They earned a reputation for being able to fix problems on the spot and motivate those around them to accomplish tasks to a high standard. Simply put, they loved being “where the rubber meets the road.” Rather than accept the challenge of mastering the art of organizational level leadership, they go back to where they feel comfortable. They go back to “where the rubber meets the road.” They may not realize the negative effect of this, but the truth is they could unintentionally minimize the influence their subordinate leaders have their team. Few things are more frustrating for direct level leaders than having their boss constantly present doing their job for them. “Why am I even here,” they wonder. When this occurs, the organization suffers and becomes less effective. Organizational level leaders who drift back into their direct level comfort zone also fail to effectively do the things that only they can do. And if they’re not doing them, who is?

Here are a few questions every organizational level leader should be comfortable answering:

· What are your priorities for your team? Do your subordinate leaders know them?

· What is your intent (purpose, key tasks, and desired outcome) for current activities, operations, or events? Do your subordinate leaders understand this? How does your intent support that of the leaders above you?

· If you have assistants or a staff, how are they supporting your priorities and intent? How are they helping to inform your ongoing assessment, challenge your assumptions, or improve your understanding of your team?

· Do you avoid facing the complex problems of your organization by escaping to immerse yourself once again at the direct level? If so, how this is affecting your subordinate leaders?

· What significant transitions are ahead for your organization? What have you done to set the conditions for a smooth transition?

Are you an organizational level leader? If so, are you comfortable answering those questions? I hope you are because those are the easy ones. There are many more that strike at the complex challenges organizational level leaders face. Leading at the organizational level is not easy. Of course, you know that. You’re living it every day. Your challenge now is to keep improving. What will you do tomorrow that will help you master the principles of organizational level leadership?