Tilt Stabilizers and Catalysts
The two diagonals across the model demonstrate that the primary responsibility of a leader today is to catalyze change through two frames of power. To accomplish effective change this involves two proficiencies demonstrated consistently by the leader. The first is to know what needs to change (continuous learning axis), and the second is to have the relationship power (influence) with followers so that they willingly execute the change (followership or engagement axis).
The Continuous Learning Axis
The Learning Catalyst duality ensures Competitive Edge
Learning what needs to change is accomplished through relationships outside of the “four walls” of the business, represented through the Learning Catalyst. This Catalyst is represented at the top left of the model and falls between the meta factors of humanity and resilience, and specifically the core strengths of diplomacy and receptivity. Customer value management, political acumen, environmental awareness and intelligence reconnaissance are examples of competencies which are all achieved through a combination of diplomacy in relationships (external and internal) and receptivity to ideas, information, what is changing, etc. These proficiencies are critical to conceptualizing what needs to change.
The Consistency Stabilizer
To anchor the change that occurs from the Learning Catalyst, there must be a stabilizing force to give it ballast. The bottom right Stabilizer falls between the meta-factors of wisdom and courage, and specifically the core strengths of diligence and integrity. The leader’s openness to ideas must be balanced by a full understanding of the idea as well as what it takes to implement sustainable systems to support the idea. Effective implementation is accomplished through the strength of Diligence. Alignment of the idea to the organizational values, the values of the customer, and walking the talk are accomplished and exhibited through the strength of integrity.
The Engagement Axis
The second mechanism for catalyzing change is through creative frameworks that alter the paradigm of how things have been done in the past and come from the creative intelligence of the leader’s informed instinct about the business. This creative catalyst unfolds when the leader has developed enough depth, breadth and width in knowledge and experience in the business that he or she begins to experience inspired instincts that are novel to the particular industry and situation. This highly intelligent synthesizing is only possible with leaders who have developed the proficiencies that combine creative intelligence and personal confidence to lead the organization to novel frames of thinking.
The Creative Catalyst
This futuristic aspect to leadership is accomplished by inspiring followers to engage with change and is represented through the “followership or engagement axis” relationship. This Creative Catalyst, which comes together at the top right of the axis, falls between the strengths of creativity and confidence. The core strengths of creativity and confidence are fundamental to the proficiency that enables a leader to put a solid stake in the ground and engage the organization in a creative way. The combination of these two meta-factors on the active side of the model is also about “strategic execution” – aligning the action to the strategy which requires “creativity” because it will be specific to this leader, to this organization, etc.
The Trust Stabilizer
This action orientation must be balanced with the strengths of trust and perspective. Followers must believe that a leader has their best interests in mind (Trust) and that they have good judgment (Perspective) before they are going to be motivated to follow or engage with the leader’s futuristic agenda.