It is exhausting to have to keep “executive presence” at all times. Deliver horrible news with a smile and rank your people from least to most expendable. Those are common tasks of the modern corporate leader.
Classical or hierarchical cultures yield a split, create an “us” management against a “them” people who work. A select “them” are picked to become part of the “us”. Trust among any “us and them” scenario quickly decays and information stops flowing freely.
A classical or hierarchical culture demands that you pick your heroes, who is up for promotion? for that visible project? for that international trip? Therefore, everyone else thinks the leader is playing favorites, soon collaboration decays and material and information stop flowing freely.
Lean yields a different kind of leadership. Some call it servant leadership.
A Servant Leader is grateful for the team they have, which creates enormous neurological benefits.
A Servant Leader doesn’t need to have all the answers which reduces stress significantly.
A Servant Leader empowers the whole team to:
1. Stop work when there are problems
2. To start controlled experiments on their process (innovation)
3. To eliminate process steps that do not add value
4. To have autonomy on how the work gets done (as long as it is done to takt time in manufacturing or within the sprint)
A Servant Leader rewards the whole team not individuals, eliminating competition among team members, enhancing collaboration.
A Servant Leader barters and negotiates with other leaders for having complete resources for their team to do their best.
Leaders only work on what is priority for the whole company, since it is agreed up front and there are no conflicting agendas or groups.
Where would you prefer to be a leader? In a classical or hierarchical leadership institution or a progressive, servant, lean leadership institution?
