Leadership: a mash up of metaphors

Published: 2011-10-31   please add a comment below

The Harvard Business Review loves them: authors, who use three or four anecdotes to derive a general principle. But, as Phil Rosenzweig famously showed in 2007*, this is shoddy logic. And, the HBR article (Fire, Snowball, Mask, Movie – November 2011) is the genre Phil dislikes. Read it if you wish but only if you then do your own thinking. Leadership is about problem-solving – not repeating someone else’s tricks or even your own. Each day is new: with different people (or the same ones feeling differently) and different challenges – as the economy churns, competitors attack, suppliers mess up and so on. So, let’s check what the HBR article has to say – and then think a little deeper.

• Fire: for Messrs. Fuda and Badham, this metaphor represents “the forces that initiate a personal or organisational transformation”. And, “although fear may provide the initial spark, aspiration is a far more important motivator.” Seems sensible.
• Snowball: “represents a cycle of mutual accountability”. “It starts rolling when the leader opens himself to the scrutiny of subordinates and asks for their support.” Worth considering.
• Mask: conceals “inadequacies to preserve the polished façade we expect of great leaders” or something “the leader feels is necessary for success.” Well, we all wear masks and it’s worth loosening up.
• Movie: this metaphor “encourages leaders to ‘view’ and ‘replay’ their behaviour, ‘edit’ their performance and ‘direct’ a story more in line with their vision.” Not repeating the same bad day over and over as Bill Murray did in the film Groundhog Day.

Well, mixing metaphors is not what grammarians advise. Yet, this doesn’t say the above can’t help you start your thinking. But, remember: leadership is not about you, the leader. It’s about others, the people you’re meant to be leading – your followers. So, what’s going on in their heads as they see you beckoning them forward? What’s holding them back from full understanding or commitment?

Here’s a start. Which two of these six questions are bothering them most? Is it “Where are we going?” ... their desire for a vision. “Can we do it?” ... the need for confidence. “How do you want us to behave?” ... defining culture. “What output is required?” ... setting standards. Or, for each of them individually, “Where do I fit in?” – their need to feel part of a team. Or, last but not least (particularly these days), “What if our world goes pear shaped?” – addressing change and its many challenges.

If you don’t know what’s bothering your followers, how can you select actions to lift their sights, fire them up or shape behaviours. Leading is about them. And they’ll only follow if you address their concerns. That’s the deal. It’s not about metaphors or general principles but working out what they need and planning your actions to deliver it.

None of this assumes you’ll find all the answers yourself. Your team can help you. But, through problem-solving, not anecdotes or ready-made answers. Tailoring your actions; not lazily copying what someone else did – with different people, in a different situation and hence for quite different reasons.

Dr. Timothy Pascoe AM
PhD (Cambridge), MBA (Harvard), BE & BEc (Adelaide)
Creator, V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership^®