Leading from Within
иконографияПравославни икониSometimes you need to lead from behind before you can lead at all.
A colleague was complaining the other day that he had not demonstrated enough
leadership. When I asked him what he meant he said that was had not been
assertive enough in demonstrating what needed to be done. My colleague is an
internal change agent pushing for the adoption of some new manufacturing
processes; he’s a recognized expert and viewed as someone who can make the new
initiatives a reality. Later when I reflected on our conversation I wish I would have
said, “Sometimes you need to lead from behind before you can lead at all.”
Leadership is very much about pointing the way and enabling others to succeed, but
sometimes in order to accomplish that aim you must take a step back. You put aside
what you think must be done immediately in order to allow others to progress at
their own rate.
Pushing for Change
Leading from behind, or even from the middle, is a very effective means of leading,
particularly during times of transition or transformation. The reason so many change
efforts fail is because they are dictated from on high without letting the people in the
middle and on the ground absorb, internalize and implement. That’s where
leadership from the ranks comes into play. When those folks take the initiative and
make it their own there is a great chance for success.
One company that leverages this form of leadership is Toyota through its vaunted
Toyota Production System. Based upon the principles of lean production, which can
be defined as “eliminating waste to optimize value,” Toyota managers and
employees operate on principles of just in time delivery, jidoka (quality) and kaizen
(continuous improvement). All of these endeavors are focused to do one thing:
Deliver value to the customer—value that the customer desires, wants and will pay
for. Sounds good, but what is remarkable is that managers in the TPS system lead
on principle; people are taught through experience to do what is right within the lean
value system. Easy to say but challenging to deliver. By looking at Toyota as well as
other organizations, we can draw some lessons for implementing principles of
leading from the middle.
• Be open. People want to know what’s going on and their role in it. It falls to
managers to make clear what the goals are and especially how those goals
affect the team. At Toyota the goal is Global 15—meaning capturing 15
percent of the world’s automotive market. Aside from being a good slogan, it
serves as a lodestar for individual departments to point to and then
“operationalize” its intent. That is, if my company is going to grow, what do I
have to do to improve delivery, ensure quality and continuously improve.
• Be facilitating. Leadership really is the art of enabling others to succeed.
Managers can do this by providing tools and resources so people have what
they need to do their jobs. They also need to be available to set direction and
be of counsel, that is, the team’s advisor. Sometimes managers will have to
jump in and help out with the workload but often it is matter of facilitation,
and that starts with being available to advise, nudge and most of all, listen.
• Be forceful. People are people. We have our own ideas; we don’t like to be
dictated to. The chief engineers at Toyota, those responsible for running the
vehicle programs, lead through the force of their experience as well as their
knowledge and even their force of will. While few of these folks have direct
reports, their authority comes from the responsibility of ensuring value to the
customer in ways that leverage the principles of the Toyota Production
System. As such they are regarded by some as the most powerful people
within Toyota.
• Be teaching. One way Toyota managers teach is through the Socratic method,
that is, instructing by asking questions. Employees may want information but
often it will be a matter of discovering the answers for themselves. That
ensures learning. It can be frustrating if someone wants quick answers, of
course, and at times that is the proper method, but over time you want
people to discover lessons for themselves.
Leading from Inside
Change is not a comfortable process; no one really wants to change. Getting out of
the comfort zone is hard. It makes us think about what we do and the consequences
of those actions. That’s why sometimes you do need the strong person at the top
pushing and pulling everyone. That technique is especially useful for organizations in
crisis. As the CEO of Delphi, Steve Miller, a noted turnaround artist, has been front
and center: He is the guy who led the company into bankruptcy; there seemed no
other choice. But at the same time he has been very direct and honest with the UAW
whose workforce will pay a heavy price in terms of job losses and benefits reduction.
As sign of good faith, Miller surrendered his own $1.5 million annual salary to work
for $1 per year. While Miller’s role is crucial, it will be up to his leadership team and
that of the union’s to determine Delphi’s future viability.
Crises aside, leading from ranks is a good way to ensure buy-in because it gives
employees a piece of the action. They demonstrate ownership of the situation and
make changes necessary to keep the organization going. This ensures that change
will take root and ultimately make the organization stronger because it will have the
leadership talent at all levels to tackle future challenges. Leading by taking a step
back will sometimes require a swallowing of ego; you won’t always be the one out
front, but you will be doing the right thing for the organization.
Sunday, November 16th, 2008