Smart Leaders Realize Leadership Is No Longer A Solo Job

What every leader should pay attention to in an idea-based economy

When you ask leaders which characteristics they value the most when hiring employees, many say agility, flexibility, and adaptability. They’re seeking nimble thinkers, individuals who not only can compete in a global, idea-based economy and stay ahead but people who can contribute in a meaningful way and adapt to shifting needs. Smart leaders realize leadership is no longer a solo job; they need astute partners–they need people who will effectively co-create with them to produce significant ideas, who can think critically and creatively, experiment, learn quickly, and look forward.
 

1. Be a Partner

As a university educator, I now ask you to “flip the classroom,” a teaching methodology employed here to mean active leadership and increased collaboration between a leader and employees. Just as much as leaders want to hire nimble thinkers, employees want a leader who is agile, flexible and adaptable. They want someone who is open to their ideas, listens mindfully, behaves as a team member rather than a formal authority figure. If a leader starts by listening, starting with employee needs and thoughts, that can lead to more successful outcomes.

2. Scrap Formal Authority

University students no longer sync with formal authority and neither do employees.

When I was in graduate school, I met with my thesis advisor to review my submission. After a very brief review, which was excellent, he “dismissed” me–not allowing for any additional questions let alone small talk. At the university, when my former dean summoned me to his office for a question he had about a colleague’s research potential, he, too, dismissed me as soon as I had answered satisfactorily.

No one wants to feel dismissed; we all feel as well as think in a university setting and on the job. Leaders should raise morale, not lower it if they want people who are committed to their jobs and the organization. Authoritarianism isn’t going to work, especially with Gen Z. Trust me. I teach Gen Z— Millennials, too.

Let’s “workshop” your suggestion or idea as a favorite go-to method for partnership. It’s actually a terrific way to think–leading a workshop–a discussion of a practical solution, where people share their knowledge and points of view.

3. Good-Faith Engagement

Effective teaching involves a willingness to listen and switch gears when you hear good ideas, explore others’ points of view, and have the ability to conduct dialogue and not debate. The same goes for leadership. A leader can be a catalyst and conduit–someone who, in good faith, engages with their employees' observations, notes, and semi-realized ideas. It is the channel for good communication and sparks critical and creative thinking.

Leaning into good faith listening for employee understanding results in greater participation all around.

4. Amplify Diversity

Get multiple perspectives. Avoid groupthink at all costs. Avoid solo-think, that is, where a leader does all the thinking.

Taking multiple perspectives—looking at a business objective, a partially realized idea, or a fully-fledged idea from viewpoints different from your own—helps you perceive multiple scenarios and potentially considerable gains, ultimately resulting in better objectives, ideas and solutions that appeal to more people in more meaningful ways.

By asking more questions of diverse people, a leader widens their scope and the impact of their role.

Here are three questions to ask:
● What goal can I set to have the best possible gain for the possible people?
● Is there a gap I hadn’t considered before I took multiple perspectives?
● Is there a gain that is more equitable?

Empathy isn’t a tactic; building diversity and inclusive teams is not a trend. These are indispensable ways to lead.

Leaders would do well to take a cue from Dr. Lamont Repollet, the president of Kean University. "Reflect, reexamine and reimagine" is President Repollet’s call to action concerning research at our university, which aligns with the university's mission and culture. He is considering what public higher education can aspire to be in a world that needs worthwhile ideas and solutions to chronic issues. What makes Repollet such an impressive leader is that he knows that call to action requires partnership, collaboration, mindful listening, and embracing a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In most cases, a team or employees' work reflects the leader's performance. To face crises, to get ahead and stay ahead of the competition in an idea-based economy, and to inspire commitment, be a partner, scrap old-school authority, engage with people in good faith, and always, always, always amplify diversity. When you are inclusive, empowering, and respectfully connect, you leverage nimble thinkers’ abilities to do great things.

Author Bio

Robin Landa is a distinguished professor at Kean University and a globally recognized ideation expert. She is a well-known “creativity guru” and a best-selling author of books on creativity, design, and advertising, including The New Art of Ideas: Unlock Your Creative Potential. She has won numerous awards and The Carnegie Foundation counts her among the "Great Teachers of Our Time."