Recently, I heard a lecture given to us Harvard Business School alumni by Bill George, Professor at Harvard Business School, on the topic, “Leadership in the 21st Century.” He asserted that many of the problems our corporations are in now, including the current mess on Wall St., are the result of bad leadership.

Bad leadership includes the old command and control style and reliance on charismatic leaders.
He said that new, more effective business leaders are emerging. They have high degrees of self-awareness and ability to connect. They also rely on empowering others rather than their own charisma or wisdom. They strive to collaborate with others to solve complex problems.

I know that emotional intelligence underlies many of these leadership approaches. Emotional intelligence can improve your ability to lead in this new fashion that Bill George says is working very well. For example, Bill emphasizes that new leaders learn from their mistakes. This requires some humility. He says that it is especially important is to admit your mistakes and ask others for measures to correct them.

I think that soliciting feedback is an emotionally intelligent skill that distinguishes the type of leadership Bill is describing. Leaders need to drop the mask of being a masterful commander. Our problems are too complex for one person to know it all. Leaders need to drop the mask of being charismatic, just wanting good followers.

The new skills are empowering, inspiring, and encouraging others to take the initiative in seeing future trends and championing new goals and solutions. For years I have offered coaching and training in these skills, which I currently include in my Virtual-Workshop, Leadership Communication™.

Unfortunately, many leaders who would like to attend do not sign up. They fear that people would think less of them. They think others believe they should already know these things. They must keep their mask on of being masterful, so they can’t admit to any deficiencies in skills. Likewise, they find it hard to admit to mistakes. Granted that can be dangerous. But we are also seeing the danger of leaders who cannot grow into a new leadership style of empowerment and therefore are not coping well with the ever-more complex problems facing them.

In my Virtual-Workshop, Leadership Communication™, leaders can stay anonymous so that they feel free to try out the new skills I am describing during our role plays. It is an emotionally safe place for learning. Of course, so is my individual Executive Coaching. Please call me, Bill Murray, for more information, 919-419-9460.