As we find ourselves more and more reliant on digital spaces and tools, we must remember that people are our most valuable resource, and collaboration is the key to solving the challenges of yesterday, and the ones that lay ahead. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just outcomes to achieve, but the process to follow for effective collaboration in this hyper connected and chaotic world.
To bridge the gap - from the current way things get done to the more collaborative ways to get things done - we need new models of leadership that are not unilateral but multipolar. Leadership is one of those words that means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For the sake of today’s newsletter, let’s understand “Leadership” to be a skill that anyone can hold and share.
Facilitative Leadership is the skill set of unlocking the personal and positional power of the individuals on your team to enhance the group's capacity to generate a sum greater than the parts of the whole. Given the amazing diversity we have in our organizations today (e.g. age, gender, race, neurology) we’ve never been better positioned to generate group genius and drive results. To realize this potential, we are being asked to evolve to a leadership model that is more facilitative than directive.
Evolving your leadership style is more facilitative than directive isn’t simply a good practice to cultivate a healthy workplace dynamic - it’s becoming a more and more needed practice to meet the problems we are focused on solving. As discussed in previous newsletters, the types of problems we face today are adaptive problems (see: Whack-a-mole), and thus require collective, and sustained efforts to solve. Adaptive problems require new approaches and strategies. Facilitative leaders use participatory processes to support groups in exercising their individual and collective creativity, while building trust and alignment.
Evolving to a leadership model that is more facilitative, participatory and co-created, is key to animating the values of diversity, equity and inclusion so many espouse. Below are a few things we can focus on to begin evolving our leadership style to meet the moment:
Foster Inclusion: Creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected is important to being a facilitative leader. By avoiding normative processes like the plague (see meetings that are a series of monologues, sitting in board rooms following Robert's Rules of Order, and/or watching slideshows of words and numbers), we increase the opportunity for learners of all types to engage in and express through. By infusing our group time with participatory processes that leverage the power of music, movement, writing and symbolism, we support the sharing of diverse thoughts and perspectives.
Invest In Education: It's important to continually develop your own skills and knowledge, and those of your team. For yourself, seek out opportunities for professional development, experiment with new tools and processes, attend conferences, cultivate mindfulness, invest in related and non-related courses, then read books and articles on leadership and creative processes. For your team, encourage them to share their interests and development goals, and look for ways to support them in achieving their learning objectives.
Be Adaptable: Facilitative leaders need to be adaptable and flexible in their approach. Be willing to adjust your style to meet the needs of your team and the situation at hand. Be open to trying new things and taking calculated risks. Question your assumptions and experiment with different ways of being and doing!
Be Accountable: Facilitative Leaders must hold themselves accountable! Set clear goals and objectives, share thee goals with your peers and direct reports, measure progress against those goals, and invite feedback and suggestions from your people on how you can make adjustments and course-correct as needed. Share missteps, own mistakes and make your deficiencies known so your team can help plug the gaps.
Facilitative Leaders rely on participatory processes to generate buy-in, thus engagement and commitment. Teams that are more creative and cohesive are higher performing because they are able to innovate, iterate & fail forward in pursuit of their mission. Organizations that foster and practice cultures where facilitative leadership thrive because they have more cohesive teams, that innovate more rapidly, enjoy higher levels of engagement, and individual team members report above-average levels of job satisfaction.
While we can read all the Harvard Business Review articles, LinkedIn comments and newsletters in the world, the truth is this is not a theoretical subject, but a practical one. Facilitative Leadership can only be learned and animated through practice. This year I am launching a small cohort-based course to support up and coming non-profit leaders evolve and expand their leadership skills.
By adopting a facilitative leadership style, organizations can better navigate the complexities and uncertainties of a VUCA environment and sustain their efforts in the face of mounting uncertainty. I look forward to sharing more thoughts, resources and invitations with you in the months ahead to support us all participate more fully in co-creating the creative and impactful results our society so dearly needs.
