In my professional travels, I have probably failed a lot more than I have succeeded. I’ve led projects and teams that have won awards, but more often than not, I have been a part of projects that simply do not meet their intended objectives. When I reflect on the reasons why I’ve been a part of both successes and failures, the common denominator is leadership. That is, when leadership is healthy, initiatives tend to succeed; when leadership is unhealthy, initiatives tend to fail.
What is healthy leadership?
The reality is that leadership is about socially distributing power. But in order to distribute power, a “leader” must understand his/her own relationship with the role he/she fills. For example, if an agency director grew up in a restrictive household in which her parents were directive and punitive, then without reflection and understanding of her upbringing, then there’s a high likelihood that she will administer power from a directive and punitive perspective. This type of leadership may be healthy in a context that requires that type of leadership; such as in an environment which demands centrally-concentrated control (think of a military setting or in an emergency/crisis situation). However, if her agency is composed of people filling professional roles, such as in a mental health clinic where most roles require a Master’s degree or higher, then a directive/punitive approach would be significantly unhealthy. Evidence from the leadership field suggests that professionals function best in a context in which empowerment principles guide the distribution of power.
Really, at the end of the day, the context of any given situation will determine the leadership methods that will be healthiest.
How do I know which leadership methods are best?
In order to best understand leadership, a firm understanding of the roles and objectives within a context is the foundation up on which all leadership is built. Furthermore, all people should at least try to understand their own understandings of how they view power. For example, questions that can help foster this understanding can yield tremendous applicable knowledge. Some questions to ask are:: “Was I allowed to express myself growing up? Was it my parent’s way or the highway? Did I attend a school in which critical reasoning was favored or in a more “top-down” school where the teachers determined the content and ways of engaging the content?
Really, leadership is a discipline in and of itself. While leadership roles do have specific purpose, not everyone can serve that purpose and fill leadership roles. someone who doesn’t understand their relationship with power may be a bad fit for a context that requires deep understanding. As someone who has led several projects (and been formally educated in leadership), I can say with some certainty that healthy leadership yields success; unhealthy leadership yields failure.
