Scan Magazine

By Inger Buus, Mannaz

When we run leadership development programmes, top executives from the organisation typically participate as speakers to deliver ‘the strategic messages from the top’. Recently, the core message from one senior executive was the following: “Now you must choose whether you want to be a survivor or a winner!” – clearly with the intention of encouraging the leaders to refocus and start driving for revenue growth.

The challenge is, though, that the business leaders were there precisely because they had developed and deployed survival skills, cut costs, made people redundant and managed to hold on to their own jobs despite the restructuring over the past couple of years. How can they change mindset and behaviour all of a sudden? And how can they do it in a way that is believable to their organisations? As markets stabilise and the first glimmers of hope emerge, companies need to rethink how leadership is executed and distributed.

As some of the shortcomings and misjudgements of celebrated, heroic leaders have been exposed, a revised model of leadership is emerging. In this model, leadership is distributed, relational, personal and situational. Distributed in that it is not the privilege of the chosen few at the top but executed across the organisation by individuals who take it when needed – and are encouraged to do so. Relational because it is co-created and continuously refined by the multiple relationships and interactions the leaders have. Personal in that leaders will regain trust by being themselves and authentic in their actions. Situational since there is no ‘one style fits all’. Leadership has to be adapted to the person and to the situation.

So whether you successfully make the transition from ‘surviving’ to ‘winning’ will be determined by the extent to which you are able to rebuild trust and are willing to take risks, engage with people and empower others to take leadership.