The #1 Shift to Move from Management to Leadership

Converting complexity to clarity may be the most critical competency to move us from management effectiveness to leadership excellence. In his book, Beating the GlobalOdds, Paul Laudicina, managing partner and chairman of the board of A.T. Kearney, writes: “Not surprisingly, people (and organizations) everywhere are feeling disoriented, bewildered, and even paralyzed. From crisis and scandal to the proliferation of product choice and the relentless 24/7 ‘information smog’ of always-on news, email, and social media, we are not feeling smarter and wiser. On the contrary, our ability to think and act decisively with the future in mind has diminished. Imagine having—at last—the entire knowledge of human civilization at your fingertips, and finding it basically gives you a migraine.”

Laudicina posits that we have arrived at a critical juncture in our society where we can no longer keep up.  Expansion and increasing volume is happening at too fast a pace.   “Our ability to understand and act upon that information explosion chugs behind linearly.”  The information surge cannot be managed through even the most superior organization.  “We need a new way of thinking, behaving, and discerning…to manage and cope with the pace of change and disruption…even the best systems will be limited by the capacity of individuals and society to usefully absorb the data surge and then, with wisdom, know what to do with it.”

Perhaps the most valuable innovation we can make is the one that is most accessible to us. We can pause…step back… to discern through the “information smog” what is important and to gain deeper awareness and synthesis of information. As leaders, too often we step forward with action to deal with complexity without first stepping back for the clarity we need. Our impulse to speed up and take action is driven by our intention to achieve, but our go-to approach—action and transaction—is often futile when dealing with increasing chaos and complexity. Unknowingly, our dedication to speed and action can be counterproductive. As the VUCA forces (Volatility, Unpredictability, Complexity, Ambiguity) intensify, we have to consider learning how to step back to get clear so we can step forward with optimal contribution. Learning to bring clarity to complexity is an essential value-creating competency for leaders today.

Research led by Bob Eichinger of Korn Ferry International identified “dealing with ambiguity” as the most important leadership competency in shortest supply. The Center for Creative Leadership backs this up with research showing that the number one issue facing senior leadership today is “managing complex challenges.”  After sharing this research with one CEO, he said: “We do not need to ‘manage complexity’ or ‘deal with ambiguity.’ Our job as leaders is to transform complexity and ambiguity into something that creates enduring value.”

Slowing down amid the chaos is no easy task when we are accustomed to being rewarded for speed and action. Several years ago, I took a group of senior sales leaders of a global telecommunications company on an off- site retreat with the intention of dealing with complex issues. Based on our assessment of the group we designed a variety of challenges, including a complex, multi-sport problem-solving event. When we were geared up and assembled, we began briefing everyone. Suddenly, some participants jumped on their bikes, while others started running. I shouted to them, “Where are you going?” Someone yelled, “We don’t know, but we’re going now!” So eager to solve the problem and get to the goal, we often head off with great intentions and drive without a clear direction and understanding of why. Tempering our drive to achieve with a commensurate drive to pauseis crucial when facing our toughest, most complex leadership challenges.The greater the complexity, the deeper the reflective pause required to convert the complex and ambiguous to the clear and meaningful. Pause helps us to move from the transactive or the hyperactive to the transformative.

Without sufficient, high-quality pause, the complexity of the VUCA forces becomes overwhelming as we try to cope by accelerating action or transaction. This attempt to manage versus lead our way out of the VUCA vortex seldom is successful. Ludwig Hantson, president, Baxter Bioscience, commenting on this crucial leadership dynamic shared with me, “Moving from management transaction which deals with noncomplex, unidimensional perspectives to leadership transformation which steps back to embrace complex, multidimensional realities is the key to innovation and value-added differentiation today.”

The Pause Principle Model

One of the key developmental shifts for moving from management effectiveness to leadership excellence is moving from the transactive and the hyperactive to the transformative by increasing the amount of high-quality pause and reflection, inside and out. If a situation is straightforward and requires action, not reflection, prolonged pause is not appropriate. If we find ourselves in this hypoactive state—dallying a little too long in pause—we need to push ourselves out of pause, or what may be hesitation, by telling ourselves, “Just make the best decision you can, and move on!”

As one CEO shared with me, “The key to leadership is knowing precisely when to step forward and when to step back. Reflection is not an end in itself, but rather our unique human capability to process the difficult, the challenging, and the complex.” Management effectiveness involves doing more with greater efficiency and speed, while leadership excellence involves doing differently by slowing down to transform complexity to clarity. Manage in low-complexity situations; lead when facing high-complexity environments.

Forbes.com