What is Modern Leadership?
In every period of history, businesses need the kind of leadership required to accomplish their goals and break new barriers. I am sure business leaders in the industrial revolution considered themselves “modern day leaders” and their achievements were their confirmation.
Now, closer to our timeline, what was considered modern leadership ten years ago might not be nearly as effective in our organizational environment today. In one short year our leadership needs have changed, influenced by COVID-19, our political divide, the #MeToo Movement and #BlackLivesMatter.
As funny as it may sound, the world is hungry for a little more Groot in our leaders today.
But I will get to that in a moment.
Rebecca Pai, Chief of Staff American Express, describes some of the requirements needed to be a modern leader. “The different values and expectations of her employee base have challenged traditional styles of leadership.”
Rebecca emphasizes the need to lead team members with integrity, transparency, and honesty. She found that those key components are developed through communication and relationship-building.
Further, she goes on to say “applying this non-traditional style of leadership leads to empowerment and building better teams which of course we know cultivates happier customers and stronger shareholder value.”
This evolved style of management is extremely far from the command and control style taught by the military and praised in the early part of the 1900s.
At Metaspire, we define Modern Leadership by the desire to be all inclusive. When we blend our masculine leadership (mission, strategy, results) with our feminine leadership (vision, values, culture) we are more integrated and able to create a stronger impact for ourselves, our teams, and our organization.
This has nothing to do with gender. We have an opportunity to balance action – structure (masculine) with being – creating, collaborating (feminine). A modern leader guides through inspiration and maximizing team talent, not through a hierarchy.
Metaspire’s transformational consulting takes you beyond the playbook you learned in college, advice you received on how to climb the corporate ladder or even style of leadership. Our consulting will help you develop or free the feminine qualities of vision and values that fuel original, novel ideas to inspire teams not just to get financial results for the quarter but to sustain the culture for years to come.
Now about Groot.
Groot, from the popular film, Guardians of the Galaxy, exhibits balanced, modern leadership. And when leadership is balanced, he is leading with his full power.
Masculine leadership shows up when he is spearing opponents on Ronan’s ship.
His feminine traits surface when he creates a safe nest for his fellow heroes as Ronan’s ship crashes to earth, saving them all.
Groot has a vocabulary of three words, all said in exactly the same order. Yet through his expression and action, he is understood and demonstrates effective leadership.
Who is Groot? He goes far beyond gender and color. Possessing both masculine and feminine leadership traits, he is leading with full power.
Using exclusively masculine or feminine leadership approaches reduces our power as leaders.
Nilima and Raj Bhat ask this leadership question a different way. “Why lead with only half your power?”
In their book, Shakti leadership, Nilima and Raj point out “…there continues to be a need for leadership to evolve in more holistic ways. In particular, there is a need for a leadership paradigm that taps into the best aspects of the higher masculine and feminine natures that lie dormant in men and women alike. However, women and men who are sensing and awakening to this need don’t always know where to find guidance and support.”
