Integrated Leadership

Volume #19 - May 2001

We all get inundated with e-mail and I'm on a number of lists, but an e-mail message that I recently received really took me by surprise. It was an invitation from a Strategic Business Forum that is co-sponsoring a "Strategic War Games Workshop." The invitation informed prospective attendees that they would be breaking into teams and playing war games. Dog tags would be given as an acknowledgement for "graduating" and all attendees would receive fatigue t-shirts to wear during the games.

The imagery presented by this workshop bothered me. Somehow I thought we had advanced beyond that type of thinking. Does competition have to include war? Do we have to kill our competitors? This type of thinking represents a mentality of scarcity and violence and turns many women and men off. The words that we use to communicate and the process we use for learning influence us in all kinds of ways and eventually impact our behaviors.

As we move into the 21st century, we are recognizing the value of a different brand of leadership - one that appreciates an approach of collaboration, relationship, and customer service rather than of combative, competitive warfare.

At a keynote speech I gave in May to the Kodak Women's Forum, I talked about the emergence of the "feminine" in organizations and the integration of feminine and masculine energy in leadership. I believe it's important for us to get a handle on this concept and to understand that fully actualized people are ones who have integrated both the feminine and masculine sides of their personalities. Truly successful leaders are ones who can think and act
in objective, rational, linear, focused "masculine" ways as well as in subjective, emotional, holistic, intuitive "feminine" ways. These leaders recognize that soft skills are just as important, if not more important, than hard skills. They know how to compete and bring in hard bottom-line results, but they also know how to build collaboration, develop consensus, and nurture relationships.

The challenges of a global, technological, diverse marketplace demand this integrated approach. Male and female leaders need to use all the parts of themselves in order to function at the highest level of performance. But this takes a high degree of self-awareness, an ability to reflect on values and beliefs, the courage to demonstrate new attitudes, and the ability to practice new behaviors.

When strategy emphasizes a one-dimensional approach to success, it limits the organization from capitalizing on all its leadership capacity. It creates a narrow, "old world" view of success, rather than an evolved, integrated one. Sometimes, we can fall into old patterns of thinking and speaking without even realizing it. That's why it's important to pay attention to our words and to the way we approach our work. If we can name what we find offensive and limiting, we can raise awareness and begin to make changes that will expand our abilities to create and lead in newer, more complete ways.

If we've learned anything from the 20th century, I hope it's that warfare isn't a good practice nor a great metaphor for doing business.

COACHING QUESTIONS FOR INTEGRATED LEADERSHIP

1. What kind of a leader are you?
2. When you think of leadership, what do the words "feminine" and "masculine" mean to you?
3. How can you tap into both your rational and your emotional sides more frequently?
4. What words, phrases, similes and metaphors do you use when talking and thinking about business?
5. What do you need to do to become a more integrated leader?
6. What responsibility are you willing to accept in terms of raising awareness on this issue?
7. What kind of leadership does your organization support?

Copy © 2000 Virginia O'Brien All s Reserved

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