Jeff Spahn’s interview in Stranova Vol. 11 raised a number of issues regarding how many of us as leaders are far less experienced in “Leading Leaders” than we might wish to be. Why do you think that is the case, and how are you addressing this issue within your own workplace?
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Stranova Vol. 11, “Leaders Leading Leaders”, with guest Jeff Spahn
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I found the conversation with Jeff Spahn to be very engaging. His concepts are interesting and seem to represent a slightly different angle on this ever-present issue of leadership. The idea of “asserting and surrendering” is excellent, however, my experience both in and out of the business world would suggest that most leaders are not fundamentally interested in anything that sounds like “surrender.” The fact is that no one rose into a top management position by being especially good or interested in surrendering anything. On the contrary, they most likely got there by being good only at the “assert” part of that equation. I applaud what Jeff is doing, and believe that if the world of leaders could really integrate such ideas it would be a fantastic breakthrough for all of us.
However, I remain skeptical about the interaction of other issues like: ego, reward systems, the “leaders” of the leaders leading leaders, accumulation of power, risk/punishment, and on and on. Part of the concern is that even if communications and intentions are at their very best, they can be unraveled so easily by the many predator issues lurking around each corporate corner, and we all know there are many. The corporate training and development programs are so incomplete, and only partially implemented, that the learning erodes faster than good people like Jeff can build it. Maybe we need a truly innovative way to develop people that integrates Jeff’s concepts with so many others that are out there. Or, perhaps we need to increase the demand for Jeff’s development techniques about 20,000 times in 2006. That would be a good start, given the ground we need to cover!
Wishing Jeff the best
Emerson,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments and words of encouragement.
I’m all for increasing the demand for LLL by 20,000 times, that would be a tremendous start. Maybe you have some ideas for doing so. If so, I’m listening.
Some leaders, and an increasing some, realize that the assertion that got them to the top will not enable them to fly. They know this in their unconscious gut, but don’t have a clue what to do. I know I didn’t. LLL describes their challenge and begins to open them up to the power of the simultaneous opposites of leading and following, learning and teaching, asserting and surrendering. These pushes and pulls, as in aerodynamics, cause a team to take flight, performing like never before.
The predator issues remain. Yet, I’m discovering that learning can be integrated and contagious. The LLL program is fairly intense, not just a one day program, but a series of events over a period of months including ongoing coaching for individuals and teams.
What do you think of the notion of the “primacy of between” mentioned in the podcast and on LeadersLeadingLeaders.com? I’m trying to clarify and develop this idea and would appreciate your thoughts.
Hope to hear from you.
Jeff