7 Key Tensions Every Leader Must Balance
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the evolution of leadership in the digital age, identifying seven key competencies for success. It introduces the concept of 'seven tensions' between traditional and emerging leadership styles, emphasizing the importance of balance. Leaders are advised to navigate these tensions, such as between being a power holder and a power sharer, or a listener and a teller, to adapt effectively to change. Case studies of Angela Ahrendts and Mathias Döpfner illustrate the effective management of these tensions, highlighting the need for emotional intelligence and the ability to toggle between different leadership approaches.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Leaders need to balance traditional and emerging competencies in the digital age, with seven identified tensions crucial for success.
- 💡 The 'Power Holder' provides reassurance and security, especially in times of change, while 'Power Sharer' develops others and frees up time for strategic pursuits.
- 🔍 'Tactician' focuses on short-term steps and immediate next actions, contrasting with the 'Visionary' who creates and inspires with a big-picture vision.
- 📍 'Consin' stands for having a clear, non-negotiable North Star, whereas 'Adapter' sees constant change and adapts the message as new information arises.
- 🔑 'Perfectionist' ensures a perfect finished product, whereas 'Accelerator' values speed over perfection, aiming for quick results.
- 🤔 'Intuitionist' makes decisions based on gut feelings, while 'Analyst' relies on data and evidence for decision-making.
- 🔭 'Minor' dives deep into specific technologies or market segments, in contrast to 'Prospector' who has a broad understanding of opportunities and threats.
- 🗣️ 'Teller' gives direction as an expert, whereas 'Listener' seeks to understand and learn from others, valuing their input.
- 🔄 Effective leadership is about moving between these tensions rather than standing on one side exclusively, requiring high emotional intelligence.
- 🛠️ Leaders should identify 3 or 4 tensions that are most important for them and focus on those, as relying too heavily on one side can lead to apparent downsides.
- 🌐 Examples of successful leaders like Angela Ahrendts and Mathias Döpfner demonstrate the balance of traditional and emerging leadership traits in practice.
Q & A
What were the original goals of the researcher mentioned in the script?
-The researcher's original goal was to identify the competencies that leaders in the new world need to be successful.
How many competencies were identified in the research?
-The research identified seven competencies.
What are the seven tensions of the digital age as mentioned in the script?
-The seven tensions are between traditional and emerging leadership styles, including power holder vs. power sharer, tactician vs. visionary, consin vs. adapter, perfectionist vs. accelerator, intuitionist vs. analyst, minor vs. prospector, and teller vs. listener.
What does it mean to be a 'Power Holder' in the context of the script?
-A Power Holder is someone who holds power in a way that provides reassurance and security, especially during times of change and instability.
How does a 'Power Sharer' differ from a 'Power Holder'?
-A Power Sharer shares power to develop others and free up their time for more strategic pursuits, as opposed to a Power Holder who maintains authority to create security.
What is the role of a 'Tactician' in an organization?
-A Tactician is someone who is short-term focused, breaking down the vision into actionable next steps for different roles and levels within the organization.
Can you explain the difference between a 'Visionary' and a 'Consin'?
-A Visionary sees the big picture and creates an inspiring vision, influencing and persuading others to adopt it. A Consin, on the other hand, has a clear North Star, is stable in messaging, and communicates non-negotiables.
What is the significance of being an 'Adapter' in the context of leadership?
-An Adapter understands that change is constant and adapts their message when new information becomes available, viewing this adaptability as a strength rather than a weakness.
How does a 'Perfectionist' compare to an 'Accelerator'?
-A Perfectionist is detail-oriented and ensures a perfect finished product is delivered, whereas an Accelerator sacrifices perfection for speed, believing that 'good enough' is acceptable in order to move quickly.
What is the role of an 'Intuitionist' versus an 'Analyst' in decision-making?
-An Intuitionist makes decisions based on gut feelings, while an Analyst relies on data and evidence for decision-making.
What is the difference between a 'Minor' and a 'Prospector' in terms of focus?
-A Minor goes deep and wants to understand a specific technology or market part, whereas a Prospector has a broader understanding and is hyper-aware of opportunities and threats in the environment.
What is the downside of being only a 'Teller' in leadership?
-If a leader is only a Teller, others may feel disengaged, their voices unheard, and the leader's expertise may become narrowly focused.
Why might a leader struggle with being both a 'Listener' and a 'Teller'?
-A leader might struggle because they may feel the need to maintain authority as a Teller while also understanding the importance of being receptive and learning as a Listener.
What is the importance of emotional intelligence in navigating the seven tensions of leadership?
-Emotional intelligence is crucial as it allows leaders to assess situations and context, enabling them to switch between traditional and emerging leadership styles effectively.
Why should leaders not aim for a perfect balance in all seven tensions?
-Aiming for perfect balance in all seven tensions might be too much, and leaders should instead focus on three or four tensions that are most important for their context and role.
What did Angela Ahrendts, former CEO of Burberry, do to balance being a Listener and a Teller?
-Angela Ahrendts balanced being a Listener and a Teller by being curious about her Millennial customers and listening to their needs while also maintaining non-negotiables and providing clear frames for her team.
How did Matias d'Avoine, former head of Axel Springer, balance being a Minor and a Prospector?
-Matias d'Avoine balanced being a Minor and a Prospector by deeply understanding the changing media industry and adapting to it like a startup, while also divesting in areas of no competency and investing in areas of strength.
What are the common fears that prevent leaders from exploring the full range of the seven tensions?
-Leaders may fear being seen as authoritarian if they hold power, or they may fear failing if they try to be more visionary or storyteller-like, which prevents them from exploring the full range of tensions.
Why might leaders feel terrified of the changing world and the potential irrelevance of their expertise?
-Leaders might feel terrified because the changing world implies that their existing expertise may no longer be as relevant, and they may question their ability to remain effective while sharing power and listening to younger generations.
Outlines
🌟 Leadership Competencies in the Digital Age
The paragraph discusses the evolution of leadership in the digital age, identifying seven key competencies that modern leaders need for success. These include being a visionary, an adapter, an accelerator, an analyst, a prospector, a perfectionist, and a listener. The speaker emphasizes the importance of balancing traditional leadership styles with emerging traits. They introduce the concept of 'seven tensions of the digital age,' which are the conflicts between traditional and emerging leadership approaches. Examples of these tensions include the power holder versus power sharer, tactician versus visionary, and perfectionist versus accelerator. The speaker suggests that leaders should not aim for a perfect balance but rather identify the three or four tensions most relevant to their context and adapt accordingly.
🔍 Embracing Leadership Tensions for Effective Change
This paragraph delves deeper into the concept of leadership tensions, illustrating how leaders must navigate between traditional and modern approaches to remain effective. It highlights the importance of emotional intelligence in understanding when to apply different leadership styles. The speaker uses the example of Angela Ahrendts, former CEO of Burberry and head of retail at Apple, who balanced being a listener and a teller effectively. Another example is Mathias Döpfner, former head of Axel Springer, who toggled between being a minor and a prospector, adapting to the changing media landscape while maintaining core competencies. The paragraph also addresses common fears leaders have about adopting certain styles, such as the fear of being seen as authoritarian when holding power or the fear of failing when trying to be visionary. The speaker encourages leaders to explore these tensions, challenge their misconceptions, and expand their range of leadership styles to better adapt to the evolving world.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Competencies
💡Leadership
💡Traditional Leadership
💡Digital Age
💡Power Holder
💡Power Sharer
💡Tactician
💡Visionary
💡Adapter
💡Perfectionist
💡Accelerator
💡Intuitionist
💡Analyst
💡Minor
💡Prospector
💡Teller
💡Listener
💡Emotional Intelligence
Highlights
Seven competencies identified for successful leadership in the new world.
Leaders must balance between traditional and emerging leadership traits.
The concept of 'seven tensions of the digital age' introduced.
Definition of 'Power Holder' as a reassurance provider in times of change.
Role of 'Power Sharer' in developing others and freeing up time for strategic pursuits.
Importance of being a 'Tactician' for short-term focus and actionable steps.
Visionaries create inspiring visions and persuade others to adopt them.
The 'Consin' trait of having a clear North Star and stable messaging.
Adaptors see change as a strength and adapt their message accordingly.
Perfectionists ensure a perfect finished product, while Accelerators prioritize speed over perfection.
Intuitionists make decisions from the gut, contrasting with Analysts who rely on data.
Miners delve deep into specific technologies or market segments.
Prospectors have a broad understanding and are aware of opportunities and threats.
Tellers provide direction and are seen as experts, while Listeners understand through active listening.
Leaders should not aim for balance in all tensions but focus on three or four key areas.
The downsides of relying solely on being a 'Teller' or a 'Listener'.
Leaders need to adapt their style based on the context and their emotional intelligence.
Examples of leaders who balanced the tensions of being a 'Listener' and 'Teller'.
Leaders must question their approach when strategies fail to produce desired outcomes.
Fear as a barrier to leaders exploring their full range of competencies.
The importance of challenging leaders' fears and misconceptions about different leadership styles.
Leaders' comfort in traditional qualities amidst a rapidly changing world.
Transcripts
originally my goal as a researcher was
to figure out what are the competencies
that leaders in this new world really
need to be successful and our research
identified seven
competencies being a PO share a
Visionary being an adapter being an
accelerator an analyst a prospector
being a great
listener that said as we work more and
more with leaders in this vuka disrupted
world we see that the best ones they
still Dabble and they still have one
foot in that more traditional leadership
space that more traditional leadership
style sometimes they are more command
and control they're tellers they're
power holders yes these new worlds or
these emerging traits are important but
sometimes we still need to be
traditional and that's where these seven
tensions were born I call them the seven
tensions of the digital age it's a
tension between the traditional and the
emerging
world power holder is somebody who holds
power in a way that provides reassurance
and security so when there's a lot
changing when people are feeling maybe
insecure or unstable a power holder
really holds that Authority in a way
that creates security power sharer is
somebody who shares power in a way that
helps to develop others um they also see
poers sharing as a way to free up their
time for more strategic Pursuit so what
can I what can I take off the table so I
can really focus on what I need to focus
on or what I'm good at tactician is
somebody who is much more short-term
focused what are the next steps and can
they break down that vision for how it's
relevant for the different roles in the
organization the different levels
Visionary is somebody who sees the big
picture are able to create a vision that
inspires but on top of that they can
influence and persuade people to adopt
that Vision W Consin is somebody who has
a very clear North Star they say this is
the non-negotiables they're clear on
their messaging and that messaging is
quite stable and an adapter is somebody
that understands that changes constant
and sees adapting their message when new
information becomes available as a
strength rather than a weakness a
perfectionist is somebody who really is
detail oriented ensures that a perfect
finished product is delivered and an
accelerator is somebody who sacrifices
Perfection for Speed says that you know
we can satisfy sometimes good is good
enough we need to move at speed so an
intuitionist is someone who makes
decisions from the gut and an analyst is
somebody who brings in data and evidence
to make their decisions so minor is
someone who goes deep really wants to
understand a specific technology a
specific part of the market Etc and a
prospector is someone who goes more
broad understanding and is hyper aware
of the opportunities and the the threats
in the environment around them a teller
is much more somebody who gives
Direction they have the answer maybe
they're the expert and so it is their
responsibility as well to give the
answer a listener is somebody who
listens to understand they're curious
they have a learning mindset so they're
they're learners a good leader is never
standing fully on one side of that
tension or fully on the other maybe at a
moment when they're speaking or when
they're in a meeting they are but then
when they leave that context they need
to think okay is this still the right
style that I need and that requires a
lot of emotional
intelligence I would never tell a leader
aim for a great balance in all seven I
think that's too much pick out the three
or four that they think are really
important for them to be able to move
between and to focus on
those if you rely on one side
exclusively the downsides of that of
that side are going to become apparent
so let's take the first tension we talk
about the listener and the teller if I'm
only a teller right what are the
downsides of being a teller well other
people feel disengaged other people
don't feel their voices heard your the
expertise you bring in is going to be
very very narrowly focused on on on your
expertise the same with being a listener
if you're only a listener and you never
speak what are the downsides of being a
listener well you probably don't have
your voice heard you probably don't get
to have a lot of say in the direction
you might indeed need to be a great
listener and in that situation you might
also need to be able to hold power um
meaning I listen to the people around me
and I'm giving a clear frame I'm giving
them feedback so maybe being a little
bit of a teller I'm giving them feedback
and I'm also creating that psychological
safety where they can come back to me uh
if they have if they have questions so
I'm being a I'm being a listener but I'm
also being a powerholder in that in that
situation I have questions I ask what is
the situation what's going on so what do
I sense in the environment around me
what's going on it might be a context
question right I need to accelerate
because the world is changing rapidly so
I need to accelerate it might be a
situational question and it can also be
an emotional intelligent question what
am I sensing from the people around me
the people around me actually are
feeling I sense that they need to say
something and I should shut up or I'm
sensing that they're frustrated because
I've shared all this power but maybe
they're not ready for it I need to hold
a little bit of power I've certainly
seen leaders who aren't able to do that
they have a message that is very clear
it is well thought out it's smart and
yet the people below them are just not
buying it there's no change being made
there's no behavioral shift and yet the
message stays the same and they're just
not able to grasp that yeah I've done
all the work I've listened I've created
a good strategy but for some reason it's
just not working what do I need to do
differently how do I need to adapt and
that questioning I think is what what
leaders need as
well one of the people that stands out
for me is Angela Ren she was the former
CEO of Burberry and the head of retail
at Apple and for me she balanced a
listener and tell her beautifully
because she said I'm not a digital
person the world is changing I know that
my future our future customer at Burber
is going to be Millennials I don't
really get them I need to listen to them
what are they looking for how do they
want to shop how do they think about
fashion and she was an incredibly
curious person and yet she also said
these are some things that are
non-negotiables this is the the history
of Burber these are the things that we
want to hold on to and so this is a
frame this is a non-negotiable for us
I'm here to to help you I'm here to
support you and I also want to learn
from you and I want to listen to the
people that are at the bottom of the
hierarchy the the next generation of
leaders in this company so that I can
bring this company to success another
leader that I admire is Matias dner he
was the the head of the German Media
Company Axel Springer he was the perfect
balance on minor and prospector because
advertising media one of the most
disrupted spaces when he came into the
picture about 15 20 years ago really
saying okay I need to understand how
this industry is changing how our
readers and our our our our customers
want to digest media differently so very
much a process ector he took his top
team to Silicon Valley they stayed six 6
months there he took the next levels
down with him and he said we're going to
live like startups I know you are in
your comfort zone of executive life
we're going to take you there you're
going to fly economy class you're going
to share rooms in kind of a a not so
nice hotel so that you really feel like
the the world that we're trying to adapt
to the startup world and that was his
his prospecting part of the leadership
but then saying okay there are a few
areas where we already have competency
there's some that we don't we're going
to sell those those off where we have
competency we're going to dive into this
and we're going to invest and we're
going to be miners here so he was great
at toggling between this prospector and
minor I see normally when leaders are on
one side so they have a sweet spot on
one side and their range is very short
very very very focused one of two things
are happening either a lack of skill
right so they're very much tacticians
they don't really know how to be
Visionaries they don't know how to
create a vision they don't know how to
influence people or they're very much
power shares they don't really know how
to hold power but more likely I see they
know how but there's a fear that keeps
them from going there let us say that
they are an absolute po share what is
Their Fear Their Fear is the downside to
being becoming a power holder being seen
as authoritarian being maybe too
assertive being too aggressive pushing
down the voice of the people that work
for them that's their fear and so
exploring oh are all power holders this
why do you have that view um give me
some examples of power holders that you
think do in a way that helps the team
kind of working through and
understanding where those fears come
from can release them to feel more
emboldened to explore that range same
thing when I see I'm the the Visionary
versus tactician sometimes people are
afraid to go onto the Visionary side CU
they're like oh that's so fluffy and and
I don't know what what exactly that
would entail and you know I'm not a very
good Storyteller I'm not very inspiring
so they're kind of afraid also of of
going there and failing and kind of
exploring that that Visionary side of
them and saying saying okay what does a
vision look like what do you think would
be inspiring for your team why why do
you think vision is sometimes fluffy how
can we create a vision that's not fluffy
challenging their fears or their their
misconceptions about what these other
sides of the tensions might look like in
a negative
way many leaders come into my classroom
utterly terrified of this world they
don't want to say it yes the world is
changing there's no doubt about that and
yes all of their expertise might not be
so relevant anymore and can they still
be effective leaders if they share power
and if they listen even with these
younger Generations that might have the
technical answers and might want to have
their voice heard sometimes they're also
looking for that leader to give them
guidance and to provide security and to
shelter them from the politics that are
going above so that they can do their
job and those are very traditional uh
qualities and so I think it does give
some comfort to leaders
Voir Plus de Vidéos Connexes
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)