Back to my emerging leadership framework.
The three aspects to date are a leader’s ability to: understand themselves, create relevance for themselves/others and enrol others in whatever mission the leader cares about.
The next aspect is perhaps the most difficult. The ability to generate momentum.
I have been working with a large social-good organisation recently. It is a very consensus-driven organisation that seems to spend a lot of time ‘discussing’ and not much time ‘doing’. Many of it’s members have articulated the need for action as opposed to further talk. But they have their individual ideas on what they should be doing. Even with a broad consensus on vision and strategy many want to debate which actions are most important. Personal agenda’s seem to be driving much of the debate. The result is that little or no progress is actually being made. The commitment of members is being lost.
I’ve found myself saying that ‘which’ action is to be taken is less important than taking action! It seems strange to advocate such a position. Surely the right action is important. But not at the expense of momentum. It takes a lot of energy to get the ball rolling but a lot less to alter it’s direction. As long as it’s broadly headed in the right direction. I’m advocating picking the actions that seem right and getting started. It shouldn’t be rocket science. If it’s the right thing, get it done, and pick the next action. Keep going. If it turns out to be the wrong action, you will find out for certain, quickly. And you can stop and pick the next action.
On my own project, to produce a documentary on NZ’s future, I’ve failed to generate momentum. For a different reason. More on that next time.
