Wednesday, January 23, 2013

300th Blog: Leadership Innovation: Compete for Uniqueness



At this 300th blog milestone, it seems to be the right moment to sum up the latest leadership innovation brainstorming, as now, businesses and the world step into digital era, what is the trend from leadership perspective?

If leadership characteristics in industry age is homogeneity, leaders look the same, think the same, educate the same, and act the same, compete for the best of everything, see the world of black & white, style may overtake the substance sometimes; then, the theme of today’s leadership at such hyper-connected and interdependent business dynamic need be more heterogeneous, authentic, colorful and with the new motto to compete for uniqueness.

1. Leadership Quality & Intelligence 

Leadership quality is not about the charismatic style to attract followers, as leadership quality not like oil floating above the water, but more as treasures hidden under the sea, such as courage, consistence, endurance, creativity, patience, humor, flexibility, resourcefulness, determination., etc.

Leadership intelligence also goes beyond traditional IQ & EQ, as multi-dimensional intelligence is required to become a leader at today’s complex world:

·       IQ—Influential intelligence: leaders with this new “IQ” will be more flexible and less rigidly tied to top down, command and control environment, they encourage open conversation, make positive & progressive influence via forward-thinking mindset.

·       3CQs: Creative Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, Collective Intelligence
-Creative Intelligence: Organization’s innovation agenda further boosts demand for leaders’ creativity, as creative leaders naturally embrace curiosity and cognitive difference, inspire innovative thinking with structured discipline;

-Cultural Intelligence: Today’s multi-generational, multi-cultural, multi-tasking working environment also requires leaders with deep empathy, appreciate the beauty of diversity, to expand global vision with in-depth culture understanding;

-Collective Intelligence: The emerging social organizations embrace leaders who are indefatigable learners, approach solutions via collective wisdom, breakdown the silo thinking, and with capability to lead virtual team or remote group and orchestrate a virtual business symphony. 

2. Leadership Strength & Substance 

In pursuit of uniqueness and authenticity, leaders need do more self-reflection on leadership strength and substance, color and theme, value and philosophy, strategy and skillset, what’s your leadership mojo anyway?



3. Universal Wisdom & Unconventional Wisdom 

If the science of leadership is to create quantified value for business and society, then the art of leadership is in pursuit of wisdom, there’re universal wisdom and unconventional wisdom underneath great leadership 
    
  • Wisdom is the guide for purpose, progress and change the world for better; then, true leaders are the wise practitioners to make such transformation; 
  • Knowledge is man power, wisdom is nature power, wise leaders take such nature power to drive the changes; 
  • Wisdom is on how to dig into root cause and hunt for essential, wise leaders will have courage tuning eco-system, equip self with in-depth knowledge and insightful understanding
  • The power of wisdom overcomes barriers, wise leaders have high level of maturity to adapt to changes, breakthrough bias, or convey the vision with passion.
  • Unique leaders may also have so called unconventional wisdom, as sometimes, common sense is not so common, if every leader can bring even a drop of wisdom water, then the sea of leadership will turn to be Blue Ocean of living water. 
Leaders: Compete for Uniqueness!
    




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