¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ I’M JUST CURIOUS Answer the Call Knowledge of the Heroic Journey HEALTHY ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES Leadership Roles and Strategies Leadership Web OVERVIEW OF WWW.HEROICLEADERS.COM Based on the book Leading Heroic Journeys: Drawing on the Wisdom of Cultures Throughout Time by Gordon Barnhart Illustrations by Jim Borgman 515 Terrace Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 USA 513.221.0833 © 2009 Gordon Barnhart All rights reserved I’M JUST CURIOUS – OVERVIEW OF WWW.HEROICLEADERS.COM 3 SUMMARY It’s All on the Website – and Free The Daunting Leadership Challenges We Face The Leadership Picture We Must Create Fully Commit – Saying “Yes” When Called to Lead Develop a Foundation of Knowledge and the Wisdom to Apply it Align Around the Leadership Roles and Their Core Strategies Build a Web of Leaders and Followers The Heroic Journey is Built into Our “Leadership DNA” #4: Manage the Land In-Between Endings and beginnings Act III: Completions #5: Finish Strong The Guidance of the Heroic Journey is Pretty Much Guaranteed 15 THE POWER OF CLEAR ROLES & STRATEGIES Act I: Beginnings – Going Forth The Visionary Strategies The Architect Strategies The Real Bottom Line Act II: On the Path The Catalyst Strategies The Guide Strategies The Builder Strategies Act III: Completions The Integrator Strategies The Leadership Art is in the Adaptation 7 THE POWER OF SAYING “YES” – ANSWERING THE CALL TO LEAD There are Always Two Goals The Call to Our Best The Heroic Challenge for Leaders The Heroic Challenge for Followers Our Courage – The Heart of the Matter Our Growth as Leaders “Who Me?” Yes, You” It’s Our World – It’s Our Choice 19 THE POWER OF LEADERSHIP WEBS Heroes Don’t Go Alone It’s About Webs of Leaders and Followers What Happens Without Leadership Webs? Leaders and Followers – It Takes Both The Contract Between Leaders and Followers The Leaders’ Part of the Bargain The Followers’ Part of the Bargain 10 THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE – THE FOUNDATION FOR LEADING WITH CONFIDENCE Six Benefits Provided by the Heroic Journey A Three Act Play with Five Core Challenges Act I: Beginnings – Going Forth #1: Being the Author of the Experience Act II: On the Path #2: Let go of old ways #3: Discover and Master New Ways SUMMARY This site is designed for people leading the journeys of change required for the health of our organizations and communities. It is based on the heroic journey, which is the story used by cultures throughout time to teach their members how to create or renew individual lives, organizations or communities. It matches the challenges of corporate and community change perfectly. The heroic journey shows us what to expect on journeys of change, what to do about it and how to do it together. It calls for our best and provides guidance about how to find it. It is always relevant – the art is in the adaptation to the specific setting. THE MISSION IT’S ALL ON THE WEBSITE – AND FREE The website is built around an online book Leading Heroic Journeys: Drawing on the Wisdom of Cultures Throughout Time. The book focuses on four critical leadership success factors that are at the heart of leading journeys of change: Leadership commitment, knowledge, strategic action and webs of leaders and followers. There is a chapter for each critical success factor. Each chapter has a video overview and a complementary QuickStart packet to guide leadership teams in getting started. The QuickStart packets have a set of guiding questions as well as tools, templates and worksheets. There is also a Field Manual to provide a comprehensive guide to impementation. NAVIGATING THE BOOK & WEBSITE THE DAUNTING LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES WE FACE Our organizations face constant challenges to change, from changes in structure, roles and relationships to changes in processes, technologies and management style. Nationally and in local communities we deal with issues of safety, economic health, faith in government, education, race relations and general quality of life. On a global scale we face environmental, socio-political and health challenges – as well as challenges of dangerous economic imbalances. These are the challenges the website is designed to address. THE CHALLENGE THE LEADERSHIP PICTURE WE MUST CREATE The leadership picture that can successfully meet these chalHeroicLeaders.com 3 lenges includes the following elements: A web of aligned leaders and followers…..Fully committing themselves and bringing forth their best……To execute a set of leadership roles and strategies carefully designed and orchestrated……..Based on a foundation of knowledge that guides and sustains people throughout any journey of change. It is certainly not an easy picture to create, but it is well within the reach of thoughtful disciplined leaders acting in partnership with effective followers. THE ANSWER FULLY COMMIT – SAYING “YES” WHEN CALLED TO LEAD The heroic journey naturally asks for our best – our current best as well as the pursuit of a new best developed over the course of the journey. There are four forms of courage that leaders of journeys can call upon to support them in calling foprth their best. The heroic journey really is our story as leaders and inherently asks, “If not you then who? And if not now, then when?” LEADERS WORTHY OF THEIR FOLLOWERS DEVELOP A FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE WISDOM TO APPLY IT Knowledge of the journey provides a foundation that supports leaders in acting with confidence and sureness even in the most difficult parts of a journey, which generates confidence and a willingness in others to invest themselves in pursuing the goals of the journey. THE FIVE CENTRAL CHALLENGES Understanding the five core challenges that will be faced over the course of the journey enables leaders to not only plan well, but also deal with the inevitable surprises and setbacks on the journey with creativity and flexibility. Leaders are able to persevere and “hold the course” because they know the course. ALIGN AROUND THE LEADERSHIP ROLES AND CORE STRATEGIES The leadership roles and core strategies match the three acts of a heroic journey and the five core challenges that are encountered. The theme is to “start strong” in Act I, “stay strong” in Act II, and “finish strong” in Act III. In the beginning of the journey (Act I) the focus is on awakening people to the need for the journey, where we are going and the leadership structure and performance required to get there. The HeroicLeaders.com 4 two leadership roles of Visionary and Architect are central to Act I. On the path (Act II), as the journey unfolds, the focus is on engaging people in productive roles, building the required capabilities (individual, group and systemic), maintaining energy and holding ourselves accountable for our performance. It’s about being disciplined in persevering and “holding the course.” The three leadership roles of Catalyst, Guide and Builder are the primary roles to be played in Act II. In completing the journey (Act III) the focus is on maintaining leadership discipline and finishing strong. That means protecting what has been achieved, maximizing the outcomes and building on what has been learned to prepare for the next journey. The leadership role of Integrator meets these final challenges. THE SIX LEADERSHIP ROLES BUILD A WEB OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS These leadership strategies must be executed by a well-designed web of leaders and followers that extends throughout the organization or community. Such a web creates the reach, power, credibility and resilience that will be required. People in such a web have clear roles and relationships at every level of the organization or community. They are engaged, connected, confident in their abilities and able to successfully selfmanage. There is a clear contract between leaders and followers that establishes high expectations and accountability. IT’S ABOUT LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS THE HEROIC JOURNEY IS BUILT INTO OUR “LEADERSHIP DNA” This is not a new model that has to be learned. It just needs to be awakened. Most of the stories we have read, the movies we have watched and the make-believe we have created have been based on the heroic journey. Star Wars, the Odyssey, Harry Potter and most books for children have all taught us about the heroic journey. So have the best books on leading corporate and community change. We intuitively understand the path, what will be expected of us and how to respond as leaders. We just need to say “Yes.” WHO, ME? YES, YOU CONTINUE ON TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH OF THE FOUR CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS HeroicLeaders.com 5 THE POWER OF SAYING “YES” ANSWERING THE CALL TO LEAD Whether novice leaders or seasoned veterans, we are being asked for increasingly high levels of performance in rapidly changing environments. We are usually asked to do that in groups ranging from a single team to extraordinarily complex organizations or communities. The question is whether we will say “yes” to leading, whether in large or small roles or formal or informal roles. If we do, the doors open to us and the challenges through which we create our organizations and communities - as well as ourselves - present themselves. THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO GOALS When we answer the call to lead a journey of change there are always two goals: ALWAYS TWO GOALS FOR LEADERS THE LEADERSHIP GAME IS GETTING TOUGHER 1 To achieve the desired results for any particular journey and 2 To build the change capability of our organization or our community – and our own leadership capability in the process. We need to be successful in the short-term to be around for the long-term. But, that success will be short-lived if we don’t build our change capability. THE CALL TO OUR BEST The heroic journey naturally calls for our best – it is ennobling by its very nature. We will be asked to lead (1) with a sense of our own significance – an understanding that our actions make a difference; (2) with integrity – implementing the whole model and matching our actions to the challenges and matching our actions to our words; and (3) with the willingness to think and act beyond our own immediate welfare. THE HEROIC CHALLENGE FOR LEADERS For those of us leading a major change, the challenge is to be worthy of those we ask to follow us. We must be worthy of their hope and trust as well as their personal effort, their sacrifice, and the risks they take. THE HEROIC CHALLENGE FOR FOLLOWERS The challenge for followers includes such tests as becoming SIGNIFICANCE, INTEGRITY AND LOOKING “BEYOND SELF” HeroicLeaders.com  partners with others in the leadership web, taking considered risks, making the leap of faith to trust others on the journey as well as acting in a trustworthy manner and helping to shape the direction and nature of the journey. It also involves being honest and forthcoming in providing feedback to leadership, attending to the needs of leaders and challenging themselves and others to exercise a high degree of self-management. OUR COURAGE – THE HEART OF THE MATTER In successfully bringing forth our best, courage is the quality or characteristic that is most often called upon. Courage can come in many forms, but there are four specific forms that are at the heart of heroic leadership. “NO GUTS, NO GLORY” 1 The courage to see and speak the truth 2 The courage to create and hold forth a vision of the desired state 3 The courage to persevere and “hold the course” 4 The courage to collaborate with and rely upon others These sources of courage are what support us – even in the toughest settings. OUR GROWTH AS LEADERS If we answer the call and bring forth our best, we will naturally grow and become increasingly strong and whole as leaders. A life is made up of a series of heroic journeys, each one adding something new. Sometimes that is intellectual capacity, sometimes emotional competence, sometimes physical prowess and sometimes spiritual growth. We never know for sure what opportunities open up for us, but we need to answer “Yes” in order to find out. HeroicLeaders.com  “WHO, ME? YES, YOU” The challenge is not for “larger than life” heroics, but the reclaiming of the heroic journey as our story. The only differences between the heroic myths and our own personal stories are: THE HEROIC JOURNEY IS OUR STORY BUT THERE ARE NATURAL BARRIERS LARGER THAN LIFE FIGURES Most of the heroic figures in the myths are larger than life. Most of us, on the other hand, are ordinary people doing what we need to do to make a difference. GRAND DEEDS The heroic myths are grand. Our own heroism is mostly, though not always, lived out in our daily lives and seems unremarkable in comparison. OCCASIONAL VS. OVERLAPPING JOURNEYS The heroic myths tell about occasional journeys. Our own journeys are surprisingly frequent and often overlapping. MANY OTHERS HAVE GONE BEFORE – WE HAVE THE MODEL THE PATH IS KNOWN Throughout virtually every culture in history heroes have left known worlds to venture into the unknown, face trials, discover truths and revelations, experience various deaths and rebirths and “return” bringing something of value. Corporate and community change requires the same venturing forth into the unknown, the same trials and contests, the death of certain things and the rebirth or birth of others, and the return or arrival at a new state of being. The heroic journey of the myths is mirrored at the individual, group, organization and community level. It’s the same story – just a different scale. HeroicLeaders.com 8 IT’S OUR WORLD – IT’S OUR CHOICE The heroic is being asked of us by our organizations and our communities, not on a grand scale, but on a daily and a personal scale. Our heroism comes in the form of leading journeys of change. It may play out at work or in communities from neighborhoods to our global community. It is also the great story of creating a worthwhile and rewarding life. We can say “yes” or we can say “no” or we can pretend we didn’t hear the call. HeroicLeaders.com 9 THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE THE FOUNDATION FOR LEADING WITH CONFIDENCE IT’S LIKE A JUNGLE EXPEDITION We wouldn’t head off into the jungle without knowing what to expect, what to do, having gathered the needed resources and preparing for the adventure. It should be no different with leading journeys of change. Unfortunately, we are frequently thrown into journeys of change with little time for careful preparation. Fortunately, the heroic journey will guide us effectively regardless of how we begin, but it will sometimes feel like “preparing on the fly.” With sufficient numbers of people well prepared, the likely scenario is one of more excitement than anxiety, more trust than mistrust, a posture of self-management vs. dependence and victimhood, and an increasing sense of confidence. The statement “knowledge is power” is certainly true in leading journeys of change. SIX BENEFITS PROVIDED BY THE HEROIC JOURNEY Whether preparing prior to a journey or “preparing on the fly” in the midst of one, understanding the heroic journey will provide us with the foundation blocks on which to base our leadership. THERE ARE SIX ESSENTIAL BENEFITS 1 Plan Effectively We can plan our journies effectively We can prepare people to self-manage and be successful. 2 Prepare the Organization 3 4 5 Minimize Surprises We will rarely be thrown off track by events as the journey unfolds and can respond quickly to unforeseen events and needs. Act with Confidence & Gain Credibility We can act with confidence and sureness because we can see how our actions match the requirements of the journey – and so can those who follow. Align People on Common Ground Because it’s an almost universal story and is the shared basis for the experience of change, the heroic journey can provide common ground for even the most diverse groups. HeroicLeaders.com 10 6 Call Forth Our Best The heroic journey reminds us of the qualities and capabilities that we have, and can draw upon, to be leaders worthy of followers. Being well grounded in knowledge of the realities of the heroic journey puts all of these benefits within reach. It’s actually hard to imagine leading without them. A THREE-ACT PLAY WITH FIVE CORE CHALLENGES HEROIC JOURNEYS ARE PLAYS IN THREE ACTS WITH FIVE CORE CHALLENGES The heroic journey can be seen as a three-act play in which five core challenges are engaged. These challenges will always be part of the journey, but they will play out very differently in each journey. However, we can focus our attention and energy on these five in order to understand what’s likely to happen and to determine the highest leverage strategies to employ. ACT I – BEGINNINGS: GOING FORTH BEGINNINGS SET THE TONE Beginnings matter a great deal. Act I of the heroic journey is about how we leave our current known world. It’s about how we cross a threshold and go forth on an adventure into territory with a great deal of unknowns, many challenges and great possibilities. We can heed a call to go forth, be thrown or lured into a journey or blunder into one. Regardless of how we begin, the first challenge is one of making a surprising number of choices. HeroicLeaders.com 11 AUTHOR OR VICTIM? Challenge #1: Be the Author of the Experience This challenge begins immediately and continues throughout the journey. This is the central challenge of the heroic journey and it will have a major impact on the success achieved with the other four challenges. If people heed a call to go forth, they are already in the author’s posture because starting the journey was clearly their choice. It might have been a difficult choice, but it was theirs. If, however, people are thrown, lured or blunder into the journey, a critical leadership challenge is helping them get into a stance of being the author as soon as possible. Authorship can be seen as an individual challenge or as a collective challenge of a group, whole organization or community. The individual challenge of authorship has to do with accepting the responsibility to self-manage on the journey and effectively play leadership and/or followership roles. Authorship on the collective level focuses on how the six leadership roles are played – how their core strategies are adapted and executed. In the beginning such authorship focuses on making choices across a potentially broad array of topics. These range from market strategies, structure and processes to roles, leadership style and what is valued. ACT II – ON THE PATH Act II addresses the three challenges that are naturally encountered on the path. These three are letting go of old ways, discovering and mastering new ways and dealing with the land of in-between endings and beginnings (sometimes referred to as “inbetweenity”). Leaders are challenged to maintain direction and energy, build the required capabilities, keep people connected and productively engaged, and deal with the inevitable surprises encountered. It’s about persevering and “holding the course” regardless of how the path may twist and turn. Challenge #2: Let Go of Old Ways and Deal with the Endings These may be ways of thinking and acting, sets of competencies, identities and self image or ways of relating to others that no longer work. Moving on without letting go is not going to be successful, but letting go can be tough, particularly if there isn’t something immediately available as a replacement. The extent of this challenge often depends on the balance between areas of change and areas of continuity as well as how quickly the new ways are discovered and mastered. HOLDING THE COURSE HeroicLeaders.com 12 HERE’S THE MOST DECEPTIVE CHALLENGE Challenge #3: Discover and Master the New Ways This can involve developing new knowledge, new skills, new ways of relating, working with new process or technologies new or new ways of managing or leading. This is the deceptively difficult challenge. It is almost always underestimated and, therefore, is often the dragon that causes the most trouble as the journey unfolds. Mastery takes time and sustained effort and it usually involves an initial dip in performance, which is hard to accept. Individuals are challenged to commit to mastery and organizations are challenged to support the process and create a climate in which risk taking and mastery can flourish. Otherwise, progress will be slowed or stopped and leadership will be left thinking, “Hey, what happened?” HeroicLeaders.com 13 Challenge #4: Manage the Land In-Between Endings and Beginnings Uncertainty, the unknown, conflicting emotions, confusion and a sense of shifting reality are natural experiences at various points on the journey. There will be a set of what can be called dynamic tensions, which pull people back and forth throughout the journey. For example people can be pulled between a sense of order and disorder, between anxiety and excitement, between belonging and being disconnected, or between feeling competent and questioning competence. These dynamic tensions eventually resolve themselves, but they can be tough to deal with when they are in play. A major complicating factor is that ongoing operations have to continue while the changes take place. This can sometimes feel like rebuilding the plane in flight and frequently results in temporary dips in performance. Dealing effectively with this sense of being in-between is critical in keeping people engaged and productive. It is easy to lose people in this part of the journey and leaders often find direction and energy just slipping away. WHERE “WEIRD” IS OFTEN NORMAL AND NATURAL ACT III – COMPLETIONS “IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER” YOGI BERRA Act III presents leadership with a challenge of discipline and focus. Achievements can unravel quickly if the challenges of Act III are ignored. As journeys near their end, it is very easy for leadership to become tired, over confident or distracted. As Yogi Berra, the former NY Yankee and manager, is reputed to have said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” HeroicLeaders.com 14 Challenge #5: Finish Strong The challenge is to integrate, deepen, and protect what has been achieved. Successful change, once achieved, is surprisingly vulnerable for a period of time. First, our desired changes may challenge others to make necessary complementary changes – and those may not be seen as desirable. Leadership needs to understand those ripple affects and support others in making the complementary changes. FINISH STRONG – PROTECT AND INTEGRATE Second, finishing strong also means ensuring that the various elements and people of the organization are re-aligned and working together because they will naturally be thrown out of alignment to some degree as the changes are achieved. There is frequently a very high price paid for not finishing strong and maintaining leadership and focus. The Guidance of the Heroic Journey is Pretty Much Guaranteed The specifics of each Act in a journey will be unique, but we can trust the map of the heroic journey to show us the way and guide our actions. The fundamental pattern will always hold true. The leadership art is in the adaptation of the leadership strategies and the construction of the web of leaders and followers to match the challenges of each journey. HeroicLeaders.com 15 THE POWER OF CLEAR ROLES AND STRATEGIES LEADERSHIP THAT IS ALIGNED, FOCUSED AND SUSTAINABLE SIX LEADERSHIP ROLES EACH WITH THREE CORE STRATEGIES There are six leadership roles to be played on a journey of change and three core strategies that define each role. The strategies are easy to customize and cover the leadership challenges from planning to full implementation. Each leadership role will offer different amounts of leverage on different journeys and at different points on a journey, but they all have their place and none can be ignored without diminishing leadership’s influence. ACT I – BEGINNINGS: GOING FORTH – THE VISIONARY AND THE ARCHITECT The two roles in the beginning of a major journey of change are characterized by an intensive effort to awaken people to the need for the journey, set direction, provide leadership structure and plans for the journey and develop a core web of leaders to launch the journey with confidence and credibility. This is where the core challenge of authorship begins and the focus is on the challenge of being the author - in many ways. ESTABLISHING LEADERSHIP CREDIBILITY THE VISIONARY STRATEGIES ¤ Establish a shared perception of the need for change and a WHY, WHERE AND HOW? sense of positive urgency ¤ Create a strategic vision of the desired state to be achieved ¤ Paint a clear picture of how the change journey will be conducted - the leadership commitment being made and assess its likely impact on the organization and its people THE ARCHITECT STRATEGIES PLANS, PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATION DESIGN ¤ Create the organization design required to realize the vision of the desired state and conduct a more detailed impact assessment ¤ Develop a plan for leading the journey to close the gap between current reality and the envisioned desired state HeroicLeaders.com 1 ¤ Design the web of leaders and followers required for the journey and build the core team for that web The real bottom line is that we are trying to mobilize and guide people’s energy: their vitality, creativity, willingness to put forth extra effort, to sacrifice, to experiment and take risks, to trust each other and the organization, and to self-manage effectively. Act II – On the Path: The Catalyst, The Guide and the Builder ENDINGS, BEGINNINGS AND “INBETWEENITY” The three leadership roles on the path meet the three key challenges encountered: letting go of old ways, discovering and mastering the new ways and coping with the strange land inbetween. Act II requires engaging people in the journey leadership, effectively communicating and building capability on an individual, group and organizational level. It also requires healthy accountability to maintain direction and energy. THE CATALYST STRATEGIES ¤ Bring people into the web of leaders with clear roles, MORE PEOPLE, DETAILS AND REALITY CHECKS expectations and support design ¤ Add the operational detail to the vision and organization ¤ Conduct a “change readiness and capability study” and prepare the organization and its people for the journey HeroicLeaders.com 1 THE GUIDE STRATEGIES ¤ Develop systems for communicating out, for feedback, and for promoting dialogue among people to promote self-management dealing with the challenges of “inbetweenity” COMMUNICATION, LETTING GO AND ACCOUNTABILITY ¤ Guide people in letting go of what must be left behind and ¤ Create processes and an environment that promote healthy accountability in order to maintain direction and energy THE BUILDER STRATEGIES ¤ Expand and maintain the web of leaders and followers and SUSTAINING LEADERSHIP AND BUILDING CAPABILITY build the capabilities required for leading the journey required in the envisioned desired state challenges of mastery ¤ Build the individual, group and organizational capabilities ¤ Guide people in the process of discovery and the extended Act III – Completions: The Integrator ACHIEVEMENTS ARE SURPRISINGLY VULNERABLE AT THE COMPLETION OF A JOURNEY This is the role that must integrate all of the changes achieved during the journey. It must also ensure that the achievements aren’t undermined by the natural ripple effects that might require complementary changes by others. There is a period of time when the changes look like they are solid, but are in reality very vulnerable. The Integrator ensures that leadership remains focused and disciplined. THE INTEGRATOR STRATEGIES ¤ Assess the “ripple effects” of the changes, including the likely HeroicLeaders.com 18 reactions of others, and determine effective responses PROTECTING AND INTEGRATING THE CHANGES ¤ Align the “things” of the organization (structure, the changes (attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, etc.) technologies, etc.) to institutionalize the changes ¤ Ensure that the people of the organization have internalized THE LEADERSHIP ART IS IN THE ADAPTATION Just as the heroic journey always plays out differently in each story, myth or movie, so must the roles and strategies be adapted to the realities of each setting. No two journeys of change will be the same. No two sets of leadership strategies will look the same in execution. HeroicLeaders.com 19 THE POWER OF LEADERSHIP WEBS LEADERSHIP REACH, POWER, CREDIBILITY AND RESILIENCE HEROES DON’T GO ALONE Heroes don’t go alone (and succeed) in the heroic myths and neither should leaders of change. It simply doesn’t work. The grand lone hero becomes the lost or defeated hero – usually a victim. And everyone else suffers the defeat along with the would-be hero. HEROES DON’T GO ALONE What’s really required is a web of aligned leaders and followers. Three perspectives that lead to effective leadership webs include (a) building, expanding and maintaining leadership webs; (b) focusing on leaders AND effective followers; and (c) designing clear contracts between leaders and followers. IT’S ABOUT WEBS OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS A spider’s web is a good model for leadership webs. They are strong, flexible and resilient. They provide lots of connections and they don’t require a lot of resources in order to cover a wide area. They also come in a wide variety of structures. Leadership webs need to be carefully built– starting with a very strong core team and extending outward in an elegant design. Webs also need to be maintained and repaired because they naturally suffer wear and tear over the course of a journey. An effective web is composed of a “critical mass” of leaders and followers that have a common understanding of the reason for the journey, where they are going, the relationships required, the roles that need to be played and the strategies employed. BUILDING OUTWARD FROM A STRONG CORE HeroicLeaders.com 20 WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT LEADERSHIP WEBS? The dangers are many. Some of the most damaging consequences of inadequate attention to the leadership web include: 1 Loss of Credibility The people of the organization intuitively know that it takes a web of leaders and immediately lose a significant degree of faith in leadership when they fail to see one developing. They recognize the gap between the challenges of the journey and the leadership capability being brought to bear. Without the leadership structure of the web potential leaders and effective followers can be left without productive roles, resources and supporting relationships. Without an extended web, leadership simply has inadequate reach into the organization and people are not consistently connected. Boundaries are often felt as barriers because there is no web to transcend them. As journeys progress leaders can easily wear out because of having an inadequate web around them to help carry the load and provide renewal. 2 Loss of Potential Leaders IT CAN GET UGLY WITHOUT A STRONG WEB 3 Inadequate Reach and Connection 4 Too Much Wear and Tear It’s not a pretty picture, but it is a common one. That picture does not, however, need to exist if webs are carefully built, expanded and maintained. LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS – IT TAKES BOTH FOLLOWERS ARE UNDERESTIMATED AND UNDERESTIMATE THEMSELVES The importance of “followership” is still dramatically underappreciated, which is a major problem in leading journeys of change. Too little is often expected of those in a follower role, by leaders as well as followers, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. There are, thankfully, some exciting profiles of effective followers that have emerged – followers we would really want when we are leading. For example, Ira Challeff proposes that an effective followers show the following characteristics: ¤ The courage to assume responsibility – for themselves and their organizations. They look for ways to add value and real- HeroicLeaders.com 21 ¤ The courage to serve – serving leaders and, with those ¤ HERE’S A PICTURE OF FOLLOWERS WE WANT ize their potential in the process. ¤ ¤ leaders, serving the purpose of the organization. They understand leaders’ needs and support them. The courage to challenge – standing up to, or for, leaders when things don’t seem right. They are willing to risk rejection and others’ strong emotions in service of the organization’s well being. The courage to participate in transformation – the ability to commit and stay involved through the tough patches. They are also willing to look at themselves and change as appropriate. The courage to leave – the refusal to collaborate with destructive leadership. They are willing to risk being terminated or coming to the decision that they must leave. Such followers provide both the support and the challenge that leaders need. They complete the leadership web that can provide the reach, power, credibility and resilience required on a journey. THE CONTRACT BETWEEN LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS In well-led change there is an inherent, if not explicit, contract between leaders and followers. Followers look to the leaders to commit fully to the leadership roles and to be worthy of their followers. Leaders look to their followers to make the leap of faith to engage fully in the journey, to put forth extra effort, to take the necessary risks, to manage themselves well, to support each other, and to take on the leadership roles when the opportunities arise. Leadership webs are much stronger when this implicit contract is made as explicit as possible. The process of doing so facilitates the conversations that lead to true alignment and begin to build the trust that will provide much of the foundation for the journey. MAKE THE CONTRACT EXPLICIT THE LEADERS’ PART OF THE BARGAIN For example, the leaders’ part of the bargain centers on the four critical success factors for leading change. 1 Commit Fully Leaders answer the call to lead - bringing their best, fully committing themselves and acting with an awareness of their HeroicLeaders.com 22 significance. 2 Base Actions on Knowledge LEADERS WORTHY OF FOLLOWERS Leaders bring an understanding of the heroic journey and an appreciation of what they are asking of themselves and their followers. Leaders effectively adapt the six leadership roles and their core strategies and implement them with discipline. 3 Act Strategically 4 Extend Leadership Leaders invest in building the web of leaders and followers. THE FOLLOWERS’ PART OF THE BARGAIN Followers actually have two parts on their side of the bargain. One is actively supporting leaders and the other is thoughtfully challenging leaders. The key for followers is to earn credibility through supporting leaders, so that their challenges come within a supportive context. For example, the supportive behaviors of followers include the following: 1 Commit 2 Attend FOLLOWERS CHALLENGING AND SUPPORTING LEADERS Followers let leadership know you are ready to support them and demonstrate it Followers pay attention to what leaders may need at any point in time (from information to emotional support) Followers actively reinforce leadership’s messages Followers model the desired behaviors Followers play the leadership roles at the appropriate scale and in the appropriate setting Followers challenge each other to be effective followers 3 Reinforce 4 Model 5 Lead 6 Challenge The ability to challenge appropriately is equally important. Without the challenges, leaders can easily go astray over the course of a journey. Without the support, however, leaders won’t be effective even if on the right path, and they probably won’t be as open to the challenges. HeroicLeaders.com 23 ACT – JOIN US IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD Act from a sense of significance – if not you, then who – and call upon your best. There are journeys to be led and your choices and actions matter. Say “Yes.” IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO? Look to the heroic journey as the foundation for thinking about the journey to come and the basis for your actions – all of your experience and approaches to leading will find a a home – and will be leveraged. Act strategically – adapt and execute all of the leadership strategies, although some will be more important than others in a journey. Lead in concert with others – a web of leaders and followers – carefully designed and built. HeroicLeaders.com 24