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Leadership
Hot Spark Leadership
How can you ignite the energy and creativity of your organization?
Posted November 16, 2019
For those us who live in California, the dangers of wildfires have sadly been top of mind for the last month. Fortunately, emergency protocols and services have prevented loss of life, although massive damage to property has been sustained.
All this devastation resulted from tiny sparks, possibly from downed electric power lines! Unfortunately, this type of incident has occurred before, more than once, as admitted by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, the major electric power supplier to northern California.
In Silicon Valley, we love a different kind of “spark,” as embodied in visionary entrepreneurs, like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk. They have created massive businesses remarkably quickly that affect the lives of billions of people! How have they done that? Beyond their technical brilliance, their entrepreneurial drive, their business proposals that have bewitched powerful investors, what is their secret to amassing such power?
Throughout history, certain aspects of leadership style have been revered and maintained. At the same time, changing circumstances, especially new technology, continuously challenge norms of behavior between individuals and groups of human beings. The military/sports team model that was predominant for about 80 years, from WWI to 2000, was successful in driving the Industrial Revolution/Economy. Value was defined by the production of tangible products.
In the Knowledge Economy of the 21st century, value is defined by knowledge and by people who embody and execute that value. What does that mean for organizations?
What is the most basic requirement of effective leadership? I like to call it “followership.” What is that?
Effective leaders must inspire their teams to align their energies to serve the mission of the organization. The staff must follow the directions the leader believes will benefit them all. The leader must articulate a vision and values for the organization that everyone finds compelling. The real mystery is how the leader’s energy not only gets transmitted directly but how that energy gets passed on and amplified!
How does the metaphor of a “hot spark” apply? What does the hot spark contain or consist of? What makes the spark “hot”?
A fundamental question is: “When are the conditions right for a spark to incite an inferno?”
The answers to this question relate to the context more than the inherent characteristics of the spark. For a wildfire to spread, there must be plenty of combustible material: dry grasses, bushes, trees, wooden structures, oil/gas storage tanks, etc. In California, years of drought have helped set the scene for fire disasters. Construction materials, safety regulations, and, of course, the electrical power system are all contributing factors.
For a team of human beings, what are the assumptions and expectations of each member? What mindset do they bring to their work? How open are they to new ideas? How do they react to missteps and frustrations? All these are factors that will determine how receptive the team will be to whatever is proposed. To be a “hot spark,” a leader will need to demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills. They will need to be perceived as approachable and inspiring, someone who facilitates and enhances team effectiveness, especially when the goals require creativity and innovation.
Note how different this description of leadership is compared to the “command and control” model we have learned from military service or sports teams. That model has worked very well for clearly-defined goals when the final outcome is known, and the methods of execution are also known. There is always some value to creativity and flexibility, but those talents are applied sparingly, and only when all the familiar approaches seem to be inadequate.
Bending the rules is only OK as a last resort. The energy binding the team is based on a common agreement to follow authority. Even individuals who may disagree with a specific part of a plan will comply because the alternative is either punishment and/or banishment from the team. Fear plays a major role in motivating behavior. While fear does reinforce discipline, an undesirable consequence is that it also constricts the soul and discourages creativity.
Knowledge work teams must be organized under different principles because the objectives are different. The value of creative, innovative work may not be easy to predict with any accuracy. How are such efforts valued? Courageous and intelligent experimentation needs to be encouraged and rewarded, even when the results are disappointing.
Not only are the diversity of talent and perspectives necessary, but constructive conflict can actually be a positive influence on team cohesiveness and achieving superior results. The delivery of quality knowledge work cannot be commanded; it can only be encouraged and supported. Leaders must focus on facilitation, enabling their teams to achieve optimal effectiveness, in addition to guidance. Simple instructions are neither sufficient nor necessary, as they can be counter-productive. Leaders typically may not have the depth of expertise and experience represented by a diverse team with skills in technology, design, language (foreign), culture, as well as in business.
Leaders in the 21st century must be “hot sparks”! At all levels, for all kinds of organizations, leaders are judged by how well they communicate and inspire their teams. Their mindset and their behavior set the example of the energy that the team will amplify and share, not only internally, but also with external partners and even end-user customers.
How can “hot spark” leadership drive global sales of almost 218,000,000 iPhones (total for 2018)? If teams of Apple designers, engineers, and business folks can do this, why can’t everyone else? What would happen if everyone on your team could be a “hot spark,” including you? For teams to be high-performing, isn’t the real secret to their success the collaborative energy that feeds and nourishes them?
