1. Leadership Trends
Ed Konczal*
The Leadership Products and Services market includes thousands of books,
consultants, courses and seminars. Despite this flood of advice we seem to be still
asking, “What is effective Leadership”?
This is somewhat troubling since we are on the brink of fundamental changes in
the economy, business practices and technology. New types of companies are
emerging and we need new types of thinking about leadership.
Business practices, the workplace, skill requirements have changed so much that
the business world seems that it has turned upside down – Leadership styles are
morphing – command and control is out, organizations are getting flatter, the
competitive landscape is chaotic, people are looking for meaningful work, customers are
in control.
Here are some of my observations on “what’s happening out there” in leadership
changes.
CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP
OLD THINKING NEW THINKING
Communications Slick Slide
Presentations
Telling Stories
Key Leadership Characteristic Charisma Integrity
Stock Grants Executives Only Employees
Benefits Traditional Work-Life Balance
Leadership Thought Leaders Drucker, Cotter,
Peters, Bennis
Hargrove (E-Leader),
Don Tapscott (Digital Capital)
Nordström & Ridderstråle (Funky
Business)
Bennis, Krets de Vries, DePree
Branding Product Employer
Mentoring Upward Reverse
Smarts IQ EQ
Executive Visibility to People Limited Must Be Seen
Executive Dinning Rooms,
Parking Spots
Widespread Gone
Trying New Things Reluctance Embraced
Magazines Fortune, Harvard
Business Review
Fast Company, Business 2.0
Spirituality In Workplace What? People want meaningful work
Here are a few observations on these changes:
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2.  We see the trappings of the Corporate Aristocracy disappearing. Those perks
that seemed so worthy of moving up the corporate hierarchy and that create a
“we vs. them” mindset just don’t fit the new model.
 The movement to innovative, non-traditional benefits that help people manage
their work-life have increased in importance since September 11th
.
 Leaders must be seen. This a real example of what Tom Peter’s called
“Management by Walking Around”. It is an Old Economy concept that is still
relevant. Get out of your office, talk with people at every level, and develop
authentic relationships with. People have much to say and leaders have much
to learn from them.
 Even that age-old technique called mentoring is changing. Innovative
companies connect executives with younger technology savvy recruits to get a
better grip on what technology can do.
 The ability to express appropriate vulnerability in today's turbulent business
environment is an essential component of leadership. Executives must be able
to understand the complex and varied impact that stressful situations have on
employees. This ability to empathize will make you a more credible, authentic
leader, which eventually has an impact on bottom-line performance. For
example, in studies where leaders were able during layoffs to be authentic and
appropriately vulnerable--that is, sharing information and expressing their
personal thoughts and feelings without bitterness or negativity--their
departments "bounced back" more quickly than departments where leaders
isolated themselves and masked all feelings of vulnerability.1
These developments and others that point to rapid changes in most business
matters are changing how leaders learn. Recent studies indicate that leadership
development methods are becoming more “just in time” and experimental.
Effective leadership is more art than science and is best learned from
experience. Leadership Stories are concrete examples of how learned our leadership
lessons are learned. I agree with Executive Development Associates who say
“Storytelling has an incredible impact and carries more meaning than a textbook, online
learning or bullet points on a PowerPoint presentation.” 2
At your next business or social meeting start a discussion by telling your own
story. People will open up and will likely tell their stories. The discussion will continue on
since people relate to stories about what they experienced themselves.
So when you get ready to rush to meet the next person that you need to talk with,
what will be the story that you are going to tell? What is the message that you are going
to begin to weave, what is the significance of the words that you are going to say? Take
a minute. Take a deep breath. Think of one message that you want someone to
remember and pass on, joyfully and simply to another human being--today.
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3. Need more information visit www.clevelmanagers.com
Notes
1. Mary Lynn Pulley, and Joan P. Gurvis, “The Ultimate Learning Experience,”
Across the Board, Vol. 41, Issue 4 (Jul/Aug 2004).
2. Executive Development Associates, “Learning On The Fly” (August 2002), 7.
* About the author: Ed Konczal has an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.. Ed has
spent the last 10 years as an executive consultant focusing on human resources, leadership, market
research, and business planning and brings over 10 years of top-level experience from AT&T in the areas of
new ventures and business planning. Ed is co-author of the book “Simple Stories for Leadership Insight,”
published by University Press of America. He recently designed a unique Business Based Searc Engine that
contains resources he personally reviewed for quality information and limited or no spam, ads. Access it at
www.clevelmangers.com
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