One aspect of effective leadership practice which we often overlook is that leaders are also followers. If we do not have clarity on and personal alignment with organizational direction our effectiveness to both lead and follow is impaired. This can create a sense of helplessness and discontent, both personally and professionally.
Similarly, if organizational direction and culture is not in alignment with the values and ethics of the individuals it employs a disconnect is created which can cause frustration, ineffectiveness, and discontent.
Of course there are times when both leaders and followers need to have the emotional maturity to acknowledge a misalignment and commit to undertake the required task, workload, or action regardless of the disconnect. This is, in part, because our individual opinion is a single bucket in a vast ocean of opinions.
There will always be decisions that we do not have control over but are at times required to action or which have a direct impact on us and our followers. So just what does leadership look like in such circumstances?
Effective leadership in such circumstances is
- Honestly acknowledging the disconnect.
- Choosing to remember that we always have full control over our response to the disconnect and
- Taking the required action as directed despite the disconnect (unless of course it is immoral or illegal!)
Acknowledging the disconnect can be either external or internal. At times, to take others on the journey with us, we need to give voice to a disconnect – not to challenge the decision or stymie the progress but to honour the self. This often generates internal freedom, space and capacity to then move forward and do what is required. At times, giving voice to such a disconnect may generate a shift in decision, however if this is our motivation, we have lost a great opportunity to deliver powerful leadership by modelling effective and humble followership. And this is where we slide from helplessness to a quiet place of personal and positional power.