Preparing for leaderful practice

T+D, March, 2004 by Joe Raelin

A number of alternative methods for managing teams have been proposed and placed into practice in recent years. Such teams claim to accomplish their tasks more effectively because they make use of the leadership of everyone instead of just the team supervisor.

"Leaderful" team designs--characterized by the four Cs: collective, concurrent, collaborative, and compassionate--are thought to produce effective outcomes because they engage everyone in mutual action. Everyone's talent is allowed to shine through and contribute to team goals. People can bring their whole selves to work and feel comfortable contributing to the greater good.

As an individual, it's important to first understand and observe oneself before advising others. That may start with a reflective stance, which asks people to pause sufficiently to gain some self-awareness of their actions. People need to reward themselves for accomplishments in self-leadership and be willing to solicit feedback from others, even criticism, if they veer from self-direction.

Once that degree of self-leadership is mastered, leaders can begin to model self-leadership in others. They can encourage employees to experiment with the same self-discovery so people learn not only to take care of themselves, but also are encouraged to take care of each other.

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A number of alternative methods for managing teams have been proposed and placed into practice in recent years that rely on the full participation of all team members, both in the planning and in the implementation of team goals. Referred to by a sundry of names, such as self-directed work teams or empowered teams, such teams claim to accomplish their tasks far more effectively than conventional teams. That is because they make use of the leadership of everyone rather than forcing members into a dependence, awaiting orders from the official team supervisor. In conventional leadership, there's one leader, and his or her job is to direct the enterprise and engender the commitment of team members by rewarding them for doing the job assigned.

The practice of involving everyone in leadership, that leadership can be a collective property, merits a name to distinguish it from the archetype of leadership based on its root definition as the "person out in front." I call leadership as a collective property, "leaderful practice." It is based on four critical tenets that I refer to as "the four Cs." The leadership of teams, and of organizations, can be

* collective

* concurrent

* collaborative

* compassionate.

Collective leadership means that everyone in the group can serve as a leader; the team isn't dependent on one individual to take over.

Concurrent leadership means that not only can many members serve as leaders, but also they can do it at the same time. No one, not even a supervisor, has to stand down when any team member is making his or her contribution as a leader.

Collaborative leadership means that everyone is in control of and can speak for the entire team. All members pitch in to accomplish the work of the team. Together, they engage in a mutual dialogue to determine what needs to be done and how to do it.

Compassionate leadership means that team members commit to preserving the dignity of every individual on the team, considering each when a decision is made or action taken.

Leaderful team designs, characterized by the four Cs, are thought to produce effective outcomes because they engage everyone in mutual action. Everyone's talent is allowed to shine through and contribute to team goals. People can bring their whole selves to work and feel at home contributing to the greater good.

In this age when work has become so widely distributed, networked, and often virtual, we can't wait for team members to check with the official leader or headquarters before taking action. In most cases, team members have the information at their disposal to make better decisions on the matter at hand than their bosses. Nowadays, teams are typically assembled with people who have solid educational backgrounds and unique, but complementary, skills. Consequently, they shouldn't be held back by supervisors who may have far less expertise than the team members have. Rather, teams should be encouraged to work and lead together as necessary.

Though there may be many advantages to it, taking the leaderful approach isn't likely to occur naturally. Teams don't necessarily stand around waiting for members to suddenly mobilize into leaderful behavior. Team leadership needs to be developed; team members need to feel confident they can develop the ability to engage in leaderful practice. How do we get there? I call the process, letting go.

Self-awareness first

I'd like to make the case that we should start the process of leaderful development with the individual. Because team leadership most likely will require a change in people's outlook, especially regarding questions of control and participation, it may need initiators who are comfortable in their inner worlds. Change may need to start with a reflective stance, which asks people to pause sufficiently to gain some self-awareness of their actions. They need to ask themselves such questions as,