As the world becomes increasingly complex, so are our workplaces. This requires a new paradigm approach to 21st century leadership. Successful leaders lead as coaches.
In any organization across the globe, every effort to hire and retain skilled and talented people remain front and center. However, high employee turnover is troubling and costly because employee disengagement persists at an all-time high.
According to research by Gallup, Inc., only 23 percent of workers are thriving in the workplace globally. “These employees find their work meaningful and feel connected to the team and their organization. They feel proud of the work they do and take ownership of their performance, going the extra mile for teammates and customers,” cites the report.
While 59 percent are quietly quitting (not engaged) and 17 percent loudly quitting (actively disengaged), the research also finds 80 percent of American employees are actively disengaged at work. 80 percent. This represents a devastating loss of human and organizational potential.
As discussed in the Gallup report: “True engagement means your people are psychologically present to do their work. They understand what to do; they have what they need; and they have a supportive manager and a supportive team. They know why their work matters. They are work ready.” Employees are excited about their contribution and the impact on their team and organization. They share these stories within and outside the company.
A New Paradigm Approach to 21st Century Leadership
Traditional leadership styles were born out of the Newtonian concept that force must be applied in order to achieve motion and that the amount of force applied is directly proportional to the amount of movement achieved. These systems of coercion and dominance are familiar to us all.
Pause for a moment and consider how leadership functions in your organization using the chart below:
“Traditional leadership styles were born out of the Newtonian concept that force must be applied in order to achieve motion and that the amount of force applied is directly proportional to the amount of movement achieved. These systems of coercion and dominance are familiar to us all,” writes Dr. Robyn Short.
The New Paradigm Leadership model reimagines organizations by devising an innovative model that encourages productive, fulfilled, and engaged employees. As employers, we hire and retain for experience and potential. In this model, leaders become coaches to support employee development and bring the best forward from each member of the team. As employees develop personally and professionally, they work in concert helping the organization to achieve its goals.
The Four Leadership Intelligences Essential for New Paradigm Leaders
We live in a world of flux. Successful executives must increasingly supplement their industry and functional expertise with a general capacity for learning — and they must develop that capacity in the people they supervise.
If a leader is to assume the role as a coach, this role should be grounded in four essential leadership intelligences -- emotional intelligence, social intelligence, cultural intelligence, and dignity intelligence. These four leadership intelligences are paramount in navigating the dynamics of human behavior. Leaders build a culture of trust and cooperation when they step into the coaching role. As coaches, we:
· Ask questions instead of providing answers
· Listen without bias and judgement
· Prompt a deeper level of thinking while encouraging exploration of ideas
· Facilitate development instead of dictating what has to be done.
When managers lead as coaches, they guide, advise, mentor, and cheer others. Coaching is relational, not transactional. For leaders to coach at this level, training is necessary.
Twenty-first-century leaders “simply don’t (and can’t!) have all the right answers,” states Hermina Ibarra and Anne Scoular in a recent HBR article. They believe coaching must become “integral to the fabric of a learning culture — a skill that good managers at all levels need to develop and deploy.” While it is necessary to build and retain the most effective teams, coaching employees is not easy for most leaders who must see the reciprocal nature inherent in the learning process. They must be able to identify and remove barriers to create a culture of learning.
“We live in a world of flux. Successful executives must increasingly supplement their industry and functional expertise with a general capacity for learning — and they must develop that capacity in the people they supervise,” conclude Ibarra and Scoular.
Leadership learning and development are critical “Understanding that learning and development have no expiration dates could be the most important messages for promoting well-being and our ability to realize the potential for growth that resides within us,” according to Donna Hicks, PhD, author of Leading with Dignity. Everyone benefits from this insight.
Leading people means developing a team of leaders within your organization that believe and act upon the present and future potential of the company. For additional learning about the New Paradigm Leadership model, access the following Workplace Peace Institute webinar.
Workplace Peace Institute is an organization systems design and research firm that is singularly focused on creating workplace cultures where people thrive. Workplace Peace Institute supports small to mid-sized businesses in optimizing employee engagement, maximizing organizational productivity, and improving profitability by infusing human security and dignity as foundational attributes of their business model. Our Leadership Academy supports leaders in honoring basic human needs and dignity needs in the workplace, so they can actualize human potential in the workplace. The online Leadership Academy optimizes competencies in human behavior, communication skills, conflict resolution, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging to create highly engaged workplaces where basic human needs and dignity are consistently honored. All our courses are offered online and can be customized for in-person workshops and seminars.