Leadership is not management. Management is an unwavering commitment to rules and regulations. This is relatively easy.
Autocratic leadership is as easy as management, and perhaps is much the same.
Good Leadership is a far more complex behaviour, and leadership in times of uncertainty requires even more substance. It requires wisdom. It demands wisdom, and at the base of this wisdom lies discernment.
This discernment, in uncertain times, will give the leader the capacity to lead while actively seeking, seeing and adapting to what is not self-evident.
This wisdom comes from understanding and adapting to the vagaries of uncertain times and requires the leader to be outside of themselves, avoiding the temptation to comply, and/or be self-driven/narcissistic.
Wisdom requires, particularly in these times, a commitment to understanding and adapting not only to the uncertain context, but to the possible unpredictable impacts on individuals. With this deep approach to leadership, a leader can demonstrate discernment and, in these times, be a good leader.
Self-awareness is part of this wisdom. However, self-awareness is not enough. A good leader in these times must act on this awareness.
As a keeper of bonsai, I need to ‘lead’ my trees in good times and bad. To be able to do this is to have, and act on, an intimate knowledge of each of my trees. I need to curtail my own agenda and commit to the essence of what it is to be an elm or an oak.
In bad times (ie in times of difficult seasons, or attacks on my trees) I need to behave with the wisdom described above and be a discerning leader.
[For more on this, check out “The Voice of the Bonsai- Conversations on Leadership” {on Amazon}]
