Transcript
Molly Wood (0:01)
Why should you listen to the Worklab podcast for Microsoft? Because it delivers actionable insights for business leaders on how to leverage AI to access untapped value, turbocharged decision making and sharpen their competitive edge. That's W O R K L A B no spaces available Wherever you get your podcasts, smart leaders make bold strategic moves. That's why forward thinking companies are expanding into Ohio where innovation is transforming industries from technology to healthcare jobs. Ohio is your trusted partner offering workforce development programs, construction ready sites and customized incentives to set your business up for long term success. Get started@jobsohio.com before we begin, we have a couple of questions. What do you love about HBR on leadership? What do you want less of? What would make HBR and leadership even better? Tell us. Head over to hbr.org podcastsurvey to share your thoughts. We want to make the show even better, but we need your help to do that. So head to hbr.org podcastsurvey thank you. Welcome to HBR on Leadership Case studies and conversations with the world's top business and management experts hand selected to help you unlock the best in those around you. Historically, executives were told to be decisive and hierarchical. Today the advice has shifted away from that towards being nimble and collaborative. But great leaders, according to IMD professor and social psychologist Jennifer Jordan, understand there's a time and place for both traditional and new leadership styles. In this episode, Jordan breaks down leadership into seven key tensions such as power holding versus power sharing and tactical focus versus big picture vision. And she explains when to lean into each style to lead more effectively.
Jennifer Jordan (2:10)
Originally, my goal as a researcher was to figure out what are the competencies that leaders in this new world really need to be successful. And our research identified seven competencies. Being a power sharer, a visionary. Being an adapter, Being an accelerator, an analyst, a prospector. Being a great listener. That said, as we work more and more with leaders in this Vuca disrupted world, we see that the best ones, they still dabble and they still have one foot in that more traditional leadership space. That more traditional leadership style. Sometimes they are more command and control. They're. They're tellers. They're power holders. Yes, these new worlds or these emerging traits are important, but sometimes we still need to be traditional. And that's where these seven tensions were born. I call them the seven tensions of the digital age. It's a tension between the traditional and the emerging world. Power holder is somebody who holds power in a way that provides reassurance and security. So when there's a lot Changing when people are feeling maybe insecure or unstable, A power holder really holds that authority in a way that creates security. Power sharer is somebody who shares power in a way that helps to develop others. They also see power sharing as a way to free up their time for more strategic pursuits. So what can I take off the table so I can really focus on what I need to focus on or what I'm good at? Tactician is somebody who's much more short term focused. What are the next steps and can they break down that vision for how it's relevant for the different roles in the organization, the different levels? Visionary is somebody who sees the big picture, are able to create a vision that inspires, but on top of that they can influence and persuade people to adopt that vision. A constant is somebody who has a very clear North Star. They say this is the non negotiables. They're clear on their messaging and that messaging is quite stable. And an adapter is somebody that understands that change is constant and sees adapting their message when new information becomes available as a strength rather than a weakness. A perfectionist is somebody who really is detail oriented, ensures that a perfect finished product is delivered. And an accelerator is somebody who sacrifices perfection for speed. Says that we can satisfy. Sometimes good is good enough, we need to move at speed. So an intuitionist is someone who makes decisions from the gut. Then an analyst is somebody who brings in data and evidence to make their decisions. So minor is someone who goes deep, right? Really wants to understand a specific technology, a specific part of the market, et cetera. And a prospector is someone who goes more broad understanding and is hyper aware of the opportunities and the threats in the environment around them. A teller is much more somebody who gives direction. They have the answer, maybe they're the expert and so it is their responsibility as well to give the answer. A listener is somebody who listens to understand. They're curious, they have a learning mindset, so they're learners. A good leader is never standing fully on one side of that tension or fully on the other. Maybe at a moment when they're speaking or when they're in a meeting, they are. But then when they leave that context, they need to think, okay, is this still the right style that I need? And that requires a lot of emotional intelligence. I would never tell a leader, aim for a great balance in all seven. I think that's too much. Pick out the three or four that they think are really important for them to be able to move between and to focus on those. If you rely on One side exclusively. The downsides of that side are gonna become apparent. So let's take the first tension. We talk about the listener and the teller. If I'm only a teller, right, what are the downsides of being a teller? Well, other people feel disengaged. Other people don't feel their voices heard. The expertise you bring in is going to be very, very narrowly focused on your expertise. The same with being a listener. If you're only a listener and you never speak, what are the downsides of being a listener? Well, you probably don't have your voice heard. You probably don't get to have a lot of say in the direction you might indeed need to be a great listener. And in that situation, you might also need to be able to hold power. Meaning I listen to the people around me and I'm giving a clear frame. I'm giving them feedback. So maybe being a little bit of a teller, I'm giving them feedback. And I'm also creating that psychological safety where they can come back to me if they have. If they have questions. So I'm being a listener, but I'm also being a power holder in that situation. I have questions. I ask one is the situation, what's going on? So what do I sense in the environment around me? What's going on? It might be a context question, right? I need to accelerate because the world is changing rapidly. So I need to accelerate. It might be a situational question, and it can also be an emotional, intelligent question. What am I sensing from the people around me? The people around me actually are feeling. I sense that they need to say something and I should shut up. Or I'm sensing that they're frustrated because I've shared all this power, but maybe they're not ready for it. I need to hold a little bit of power. I've certainly seen leaders who aren't able to do that. They have a message that is very clear, it is well thought out, it's smart, and yet the people below them are just not buying it. There's no change being made, there's no behavioral shift, and yet the message stays the same. And they're just not able to grasp that, yeah, I've done all the work, I've listened, I've created a good strategy, but for some reason, it's just not working. What do I need to do differently? How do I need to adapt? And that questioning, I think, is what leaders need as well.