Peter Drucker once said that, “The leader of the past was a person who knew how to tell. The leader of the future will be a person who knows how to ask.” If he had the opportunity to express this concept in today’s language he may have chosen to phrase it like this, “There is a shift in leadership that is taking place from 1.0 Leadership to 2.0 Leadership.”
1.0 Leadership
Autocratic Leadership has been the commonly exercised style of leadership used by most businesses and even churches of the past. The Autocratic Leader is typically only interested in results, or the right answers that get them to the desired bottom line. They bark out orders and directions to their employees with the goal of maximizing the return on investment. Their interest in their employees has more to do with their productivity and what they can contribute to the organization than it has to do with the employee themselves.
2.0 Leadership
Collaborative Leadership by its very nature is an invitation to ownership and the development of the people in the organization. The Collaborative Leader is more interested in asking the right questions that drive the right conversations. They are skillful at bringing people along with them through engaging conversations and allowing them to come to the right answers. This leader is after buy-in, ownership, and the heart of their team. Collaborative Leaders invite their team to the table and are genuinely interested in relationships, developing and investing in their people, and engaging in dialogue that is not merely about getting greater productivity out of the work that is being accomplished, but also about the work itself.
While there is a time and a place for an autocratic style of leadership, a younger generation entering the workforce is longing for more than just direction and dictatorship from their employer. This new generation entering the workplace is demanding 2.0 Leadership. And while it’s true that each leader does have a style that comes most natural to them, the best leaders have the ability to assess the needs of the organization and its employees and then adapt by setting aside what may come natural to them. In essence setting aside their own preferences and natural inclinations for what is best for the needs of the organization and the team.
Posted in Leadership, Staffing
