Leading: But From Where?
“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership”.
These words by Nelson Mandela raise an interesting question when it comes to the role of leadership and leaders in today’s business world. There is so much written about leadership versus management, their meaning and their respective importance, these days that a person can be forgiven about how true leadership is applied. Mandela’s description of the herder of a flock letting the nimblest lead but realizing he is being led from behind, can also be applied when managing people.
The concepts to lead, leader and leadership in management imply that there must be somebody out the front motivating others to follow to achieve a common task. Add to this then, the different styles of leadership that are utilised by somebody doing this role and the outcome they are trying to achieve. Styles can be due to, but not limited, the following; current level of experience in teams, which part of the business cycle or if change is required, leaders need to adopt and adapt constantly. Lots to think about!
So how can you ‘lead’ from behind and is it possible?
Leading from behind has been compared to Robert Greenleaf’s concept of the Servant Leader. This can be described as a leader who wished to serve first before deciding to become a leader, as opposed to the person who is the leader first.
Leading a group of followers can sometimes stymie creativity and innovation. Many organisations now see their employees are valuable resources that are required to, not only meet financial deliverables, but stay current in a modern market. For example, Apple is often seen as leading the way with innovation by utilizing employee collaboration to achieve breakthrough products, as Linda Hill wrote in HBR (2010). A different style of leadership may have seen their products never come to market.
Markets are changing so quickly in today’s global economy that adhering to one prescribed leadership methodology can make you out-dated in a very short period of time. The need to have collaborative teams that can react swiftly to changes and trends is becoming more and more of a fundamental requirement for success. This is where leading from behind can trump the other leadership styles by letting the nimble individuals be more innovative. Innovation does not only have to be linked to manufacturing. Companies whose focus is selling, services, distribution etc., all have the ability to innovate through processes and the adoption of technologies.
Whether it’s from the front or it’s from behind, leadership is vital to ongoing success. Understanding that you don’t always need to out the front but may need to adopt the approach of the herder, may be the challenge for many. As the need to innovate quickly is not going away, I think more leader need to contemplate how better they can lead their teams.
