EMBRACING THE RISE OF A PACK LEADERSHIP MINDSET

How to become dispensable by creating autonomous and highly-functional teams that can perform at the highest level?

“The best leaders begin with an environment that embraces and rewards innovative change.” — Lynne Doughtie, Chairman, and CEO, KPMG.

We’ve never questioned the notion of individual leadership. One person leading the pack. One individual carrying the group’s weight on their shoulders, setting the direction, and making lonely decisions.

That used to be the norm, until now.

We have been in the era of Pack Leadership for quite some time already.

Everything has been moving at warp speed, and there is too much at stake for only one person to lead. Leading as a pack is the only way to survive and prepare the next generation of leaders.

Connected networks have changed how we communicate, how we interact with each other, and how we learn. The digital era has transformed how we create value for people in our communities.

We must embrace shared leadership with a community mindset to challenge the status quo. Here are five reasons the new leadership mindset is perfect for building a winning culture post-COVID 19:

1. They are wired in ways that today’s guards are not, and they excel in the wilderness of today’s technology.
2. They are well equipped to make smart decisions faster, more frequently, and truly collaborate for society’s benefit.
3. They act and react with instinct, grounding their decisions in the core values of humanity.
4. They are selfless and focused on building communities — they thrive working as units, where achievement is a byproduct of the collective.
5. They want to change the face of leadership — to make it social by design and community-minded.

It’s time to sanction a new leadership.

So who are these new leaders, and what characteristics do they have in common? To find out, I’ve been interviewing a select group of thought-leaders in their industries that are creating a lasting impact on society.

Here are the five attributes and definition of a Pack Leader:

1. Lead with why: Due to your love of learning, curiosity is at the heartbeat of how you lead. You are not interested in becoming a subject matter expert. Learning is never finished. Thanks to this strength, you learn very fast and thrive in dynamically changing environments.
2. Clear strategic vision: You have the ability to see the big picture by ‘taking the helicopter view .’ Bringing different perspectives on the world at large, where everything is interconnected. You always have a clear multi-step strategy for arriving at the desired outcome and simplifying complex tasks.
3. Team-first approach: You are one of those leaders who really care about team members’ development. You believe that every person has the potential for development. No one has ever achieved the ultimate level of excellence — there is always space to help others reach their full potential and experience success.
4. Collaborative coaching: You always look for ways to accelerate the team’s learning process — from challenging their thoughts in a discussion to creating a safe environment for individuality.
5. Creative brainstormer: You are constantly coming up with new concepts and ideas, willing to fail fast. You are on the lookout to connect unconnectable things and to find new perspectives on familiar challenges, a clear source of inspiration in any team.

As you can see, these are not your usual suspects from any traditional leadership concept or movement out there now. There is such a strong sense of community within the next generation of leaders that collaboration is expected, not a wish.

Without an ego, armed with creativity and acting as one, the pack leaders can assemble teams to solve problems and then hand them the baton to lead themselves. They know that people are asking for emotional trust and freedom to do their job.

The new leadership is looking for substance and an active role in shaping the future together, not just a position at the top. They understand the role they must play — that of a producer, not a director. Like in a film, the producer assembles the right crew and talent and provides the environment and support for a masterpiece to come together.

The new leadership values the diversity of thought and experience of their crew and helps them work together to achieve a shared goal.

The new era of leaders is already here, and its members are not asking for permission. They are unapologetic, unstoppable, and they are coming in packs.