By Debora McDermed
In working with clients and listening to the news, it has occurred to me that we are heading into a new era - an era that requires us to do something more than work on step level change-something more profound than focusing constantly on operational results. I am calling that Transformational Leadership. I recognize the potential folly in those words ... transformation like paradigm is an often used term that can get so familiar we actually think we are doing it ... when we are not. In spite of the frustration we can feel over words conveying our deepest intentions; my intention is to convey something new and powerful for our times.
To begin, I would like to define what I mean by transformation; and I borrow from the world of science in using the terminology of Quantum Leap. To make a quantum leap, we change states without making a linear progression. In the world of leadership this means shifting from where we are to where we envision, utilizing effortless energy. I will discuss this type of leadership by providing its qualities and how we would begin to recognize our own abilities in this area.
The focus is on ESSENCE-knowing and articulating the deeper internal landscape of our individual talents as well as our organization’s essence and what it brings to the world at this time. This has a more "being" centered and less "doing" centered orientation. It provides a sense of openness and stillness as the starting point for work and our life. This openness and stillness allows us to listen to different aspects of ourselves rather than looking externally and only at results.
Transformational Leadership is VERTICAL in nature. Rather than broadening across the organization, we dig deeper into the wells of an idea and come out with original thought and innovation.
Rather than results driven, Transformation Leadership is POSSIBILITIES driven. By moving from a future orientation to creating in the moment, we enter new territory. We are actually inventing knowing rather than coming in already knowing what we need to do and when. This temporary visit to the unknown, to the new rather than to the familiar, brings us into the field of all possibilities, and limitless opportunity.
Transformational Leadership has an embracing quality of ACCEPTANCE ... things are perfect as they are rather than looking at problems to be solved and broken things to be fixed. When I say perfect as they are, I mean ideally they are designed for what needs to come next - perfectly suited for the transformation that will occur. Without these very circumstances we find ourselves in, we would not be in the flow of the new.
Over the years all my clients have asked me how to shift their thinking - how to shift the thinking in the people they work with (more of the latter than the former) and for years I have attempted to give those tried and true methods and models for doing just that. Transformation is a non-model pathway and as such requires a fundamentally different approach. What follows are indicators rather than methods.
We begin by ACTING AS IF the shift has already occurred ... our numbers are already where we want them, our projects are already on track and our customers and life partners are already fulfilled by our products, services and relationships. This is not a "wishful thinking" point of view but actually operating in the already happening. How would we behave if we were already there, as opposed to wondering if we will ever be there? Here is a simple example ...it would be like buying a new living room suite of furniture that you always dreamed of but keeping the old stuff in place in case the delivery truck didn’t show up. We hold our breath waiting for evidential results instead of acting boldly in the direction of our dreams.
We UTILIZE INTENTION more than goal setting. Intention provides the quality and feelings of what will be without a definitive plan of HOW it will be. Without the qualitative feel of intention we labor with effort and still wonder why we missed reaching our goals. We FOLLOW SYNCRONICITIES more than cumbersome planning. With the utilization of intention, we bring energy to our ideas which bring partners and resources to us in a nearly magical way. As an example, on a recent flight to Denver I was wondering where I could find more references to the Quantum Leap -while I was considering how best to begin, I discovered my seat mate was a scientist who provided me information and insight for the entire trip. (Couldn’t have planned that one!)
As Goethe so wisely stated:
"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, - the chance to draw back-Concerning
all acts of initiatives (and creation) there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which
kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits
oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would
never otherwise have occurred ....all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would come his way."
Of course this is just the beginning of entering the transformational domain. I hope this
has piqued your curiosity for something new ....for ushering in a new way of being and
working that leads us to greater understanding and amazing grace.
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