Interactive:
Leadership’s Fifth Dimension
The
quest for knowledge is a never-ending journey. Just when one thinks he or she
has a complete understanding of what a leader is leaders with volumes of
stories demonstrate how a single, simple story changes and adds one more
dimension to that of the concept of leadership, the dimension of storyteller. Whereas
Yukl (2013) identifies and discusses leadership in terms of strategic, team,
charismatic, transformational, and servant style; Denning (2011) not only adds
one additional dimension, he adds five dimensions to a style he views as “interactive
leadership” (p. 270). He describes this type of leader as one who “swims in the
richness and complexity of living and thrives on the connections between things”
(p. 269). These words, although not as powerful as the ones I recall from my
days of watching Superman, “Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a
locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!” they nonetheless
help to bolster the seemingly lacking super hero image of today’s leaders.
Instead of opening shirts and revealing a magnificent “S”, Denning’s (2011) words
allow this future leader to envision a bold red “I” for today’s interactive
leaders as interaction is truly the key “to connect with the world in new ways”
(p. 269).
As
I read the five dimensions of interactive leadership, three easily captured the
part of me that “thrives on the connection between things” (Denning, 2011, p.
269). Denning (2011) likens the interactive mode of leadership to that of a
palette in that this type of leader “adds and subtracts elements” from
traditional leadership styles (p. 270). Immediately I saw an artist’s palette filled
with colors from across the spectrum. An artist rarely dabbles with one single
color while bringing his or her artistic vision to reality. Reds are mixed with
yellows and blues. Water is sometimes added to dilute the brightness of a
color. Black and white mix to become shades of gray that add depth and shadow
to paintings. Why would we think the elements of leadership would remain
separate and not mixed as colors from an artist’s palette? Interactive leaders
are free to set aside “techniques of manipulation”, those used by “robber
barons, hardball strategists, and spin artists” (Denning, 2011, p. 270). In a
world where cries for openness, truthfulness, and trustworthiness are increasing,
a palette is much preferred as it helps to paint an image of trust.
The
ability to add and subtract allows one to communicate who and what one stands
for (Denning, 2011). The manner in which a leader views the world, speaks the
truth, and views others all contribute to how he or she is viewed by others. A
leader who explicitly demonstrates values and acts in accordance with the same,
paves a path for those values to be shared and spread in a contagious fashion
(Denning, 2011). An interactive leader, viewed from a super hero perch,
facilitates innovation and allows “happy accidents to happen” (Denning, 2011,
p. 271). What a wonderful super power to possess! Like any story, though, a
super hero cannot remain static. Although his or her core values are unwavering,
understandings can and should be broadened in order to maintain the interactive
mode of leadership.
I
have often heard, “there’s more than one way to skin a cat”. Denning (2011)
takes this same concept to demonstrate there are often many ways to accomplish
the same goal and an interactive leader not only knows this; they benefit from
it. Yukl (2013) notes one of many sought after competencies of leaders is
emotional intelligence. Simply stated, emotional intelligence is the leader’s
ability to “recognize moods and emotions” of others, control and channel one’s
own emotions, and understand how one’s own moods evolve over time (Yukl, 2013,
p. 151). Listening to the stories of others enhances a leader’s ability to
build and strengthen his or her level of emotional intelligence (Denning,
2011). A good story, whether it’s a simple bedtime story told to a child, or a
future story told in anticipation of causing and realizing a call to action, “depends
on emotional intelligence” (Denning, 2011, p. 271).
These
three dimensions of Denning’s (2011) five, the other two consisting of working
with the world and not against it, and a flattening of hierarchical authority,
not only purport with my own belief system, they are three more tools
discovered in the tool box of leadership. In my opinion, the human element from
leadership, “viewpoints, emotions, and goals”, has been absent for quite some
time 9Denning, 2011, p. 272). I believe this is why so many are attracted to
the so-called outsiders of the 2016 Presidential candidates. The human element
is on full display with Trump as he not only says that which he is thinking, he
remains true to his own emotions by refusing to back down from a media that
actively engages in “techniques of manipulation and winning regardless of cost”
(Denning, 2011, p. 270). Trump is saying that which many have felt for years;
but, because of political correctness, or fear of how expressions would be
reported, have remained silent. How can anyone lead without the ability to respond
appropriately in a given situation? I have always mixed colors, or added to and
taken away from recipes. Looking at a leader’s ability to take elements from
across the spectrum of leadership seems a natural fit for me. It makes sense to
expand one’s ability rather than pigeon-holing by narrowly focusing on one
particular style or method. Of the three, my favorite is listening to the same
story from different narratives.
Denning
(2011) equates interactive leadership with that of a conversation “between
equals” (p. 276). This hammers home the importance of listening. Whereas a
controlling manager’s success would be based on the ability to simply deliver a
message, the success of the interactive leader is based his or her ability to “interact
with the audience and learn from their viewpoints” (Denning, 2011, p. 273). A
controlling manager is unaware of the audience; but, an interactive manager is
not only aware, his or her story provides for a responsiveness that can become
contagious (Denning, 2011). Isn’t that what we want from telling a great story?
Don’t we want our audience to go forth and re-tell the story?
Being
a leader, regardless of the style, is not easy and not meant for everyone. The
power of storytelling, once mastered, provides “meaning as well as beauty” to
the role of leadership (Denning, 2011, p. 289). I well remember watching John
Wayne movies while growing up. In each movie, he often told a story; and, while
I readily recognize they were well scripted stories, the way in which he
delivered those stories made him seem to sit a bit taller in that saddle. He
connected on a personal level, even with those whom he fought against. As
Denning (2011) notes stories help us “come to terms with our past, our present,
and our future”; and, these dimensions provide for a freedom that allows
leaders to “simply be” (p. 289). Simply being me is much easier than selecting a
style I’m not.
References
Denning, S. (2011). The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling:
Mastering the Art and Discipline of
Business Narrative. San
Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass.
Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations. (8th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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