What Do You Build With?

I recently helped a friend prepare for the pouring of a concrete floor for a new addition to his home. It's going to be a great addition that I fully hope to enjoy when he invites me over for a cookout next summer. :) As we were lugging buckets of rock, dirt, and mud to make way for all the pumps and plumbing needed for a good result, it occurred to me that much of what goes into the project will become invisible after construction. The early decisions made about materials and what methods to build with will shape the outcome and experiences in this space for years to come. This got me thinking.

Design, architecture, and especially leadership paradigms, impact the building and development of technologies, people and organizations. A few questions come to mind. What is your mindset regarding the materials you build with? Are the visible and observable elements of your leadership all that you measure to know if you’re succeeding? Do the materials or the method you use have eventual limitations despite the early appearance of stability and progress? We all want sustainable results "built to last," but as with physical construction, there can come a time when it's important to move to a more advanced material, method or technique to achieve the resilience and longevity we are really after.  

I recently read the latest post by journalist and entrepreneur Shane Snow, titled “Here’s How The Worlds Model For Leadership Needs To Change”. Shane suggests that the familiar and conventional models of leadership need to give way to a new way of thinking and rewarding a better leadership approach, essentially fostering better materials to build with.  The reality is that this leadership model, designed to activate and amplify the potential and capabilities in others, does already exist. Unfortunately it is often not rewarded and is sometimes met with a punitive response. Many organizational systems are hard wired for leadership approaches that rely primarily on organizational muscle or the ability to create and master the "right" perceptions. A change of approach in leadership can enable building to new heights but it will require an appetite for some paradigm innovation as we grow leaders. Equally important, current leaders and organizations must be committed to creating an environment. One that culturally attributes hard realized value to building individuals, teams, and organizations with a mindset for amplifying the rich and diverse talent inherent in those we work with. Do you have the courage to entertain exercising a new architecture for leadership? Do you see the vision of how this can transform your team or organization? With the ever changing work landscape we all have to navigate, I suggest that Shane’s post is a key read to consider and "build" on.