from Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership, Tim Elmore, 2021
We are experiencing a change of era, not an era of change.
Embracing uncertainty is summarized with the acronym VUCA : Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous.
Leadership styles evolve from Military Commander (values loyalty through authority and submission) in the 1950s to Chief Executive Officer (values productivity through vision and progress) in the 1960-70s, to Entrepreneur (values innovation, by being first and the best) in the 1980s, to Coach (values collaboration through teamwork and morale) in the 1990s, to Connector (values connection through alignment of individuals) in the 2000s, and the Poet Gardener (values empowerment and growth through interpretation and development) today.
As Poet Gardeners, we surround ourselves with a team of leaders, an inner circle that is optimally diverse in their strengths and perspectives while sharing the same vision and values. The Poet Gardener creates a space for his leadership team to meet and ultimately is discerning of the ideas that seem to surface, synthesizes and extrapolates thoughts and champion the best one. We are wordsmiths who articulate the idea until the entire team owns it. As a Poet, we communicate the best idea, regardless of the source. The Poet Gardener Leader reads the situation before leading it. People have agency. As Gardeners, we develop people and act as mentors.
Successful modern leaders embrace 8 paradoxes :
1.Confidence (energy, certainty, passion) & Humility (authenticity, trustworthiness)
2. Vision (provides a target, energizes, stays focuses) and Blind Spots (unconventional ideas, options)
3. Visible (being a model, an example) & Invisible (delegate, empower, mentor)
4. Stubbornness (show tenacity, lead with conviction) & Open-mindedness (adaptable, ready to learn, seize opportunities)
5. Collective (see the big picture, lead by the mission) & Personal (lead individuals, recognize their lives)
6. Teacher (listen when I speak) & Learners (speak and I will listen, seek alternatives)
7. High standards (challenge people, motivate towards excellence) & Gracious Forgiveness (create a safe environment, encourage risk taking)
8. Timely (maintain a moral compass and values) & Timeless (Feeling or relevance, improvement)