Episode 76: Why Leadership is Broken

This episode with Karen Gately, the founder of Corporate Dojo, and Dr. Paige Williams, an organizational psychologist and an honorary fellow at the University of Melbourne, is about broken leadership and how to fix it. Together they explore Paige Williams' latest book, ‘The Leaders Ecosystem: A Guide to Leading Exceptionally’ including how it came to be and why it is important for today’s leaders.

• Karen and Paige discuss the different factors that have contributed to the current state of leadership, including the rise of social media and the increasing complexity of the workplace. Short-term thinking is a major problem in business and that leaders need to take a more long-term view. 

• Leadership is broken because it hasn't adapted to the changing work environment. The prevailing leadership model is outdated, focused on technical skills and lacks new pathways to engagement and motivation. Leaders lack the skills to deal with complexity, psychosocial safety, mental health challenges and the pace of change. Subsequently many leaders are burnt out, cynical and overwhelmed. This can lead to cynicism and burnout in teams as well. 

• Leaders need to develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Good leadership is about creating a thriving system, not just achieving results. Paige emphasizes the importance of asking the question ‘What does good look like?’ to create a more emergent and adaptable leadership style. Organizations also need to invest in developing their leaders' capabilities.  

Key takeaways

• Leadership is broken: Leaders are burnt out, exhausted, and cynical. They lack the tools and mindsets to deal with the complexity and pace of the modern workplace. 

• Traditional leadership models are outdated: The old command-and-control style doesn't work anymore. Leaders need to develop their soft skills and be adaptable, emotionally intelligent, and focus on building relationships with their teams. 

• The importance of self-awareness: Leaders need to understand themselves, their biases, and their motivations. This is the foundation for effective leadership. 

• Unlearning is essential: Leaders need to be willing to let go of old habits and ways of thinking in order to grow and develop. 

• Shifting from short-termism to long-termism: Leaders need to make decisions that consider the future, not just short-term gains. Leaders need to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions and focus on creating thriving systems. 

• Leaders need to be learners: Effective leadership is a continuous learning process. 

Key points

• Individual Level: Leaders need self-awareness and self-mastery. This includes understanding their true selves and their biases. 

• Organizational Level: Organizations need to invest in leadership development programs that teach emotional intelligence and soft skills. They also need to create a culture of accountability and psychological safety. 

• Broader Level: There needs to be a shift in how we view the purpose of business. Businesses should focus on creating thriving systems that benefit all stakeholders, not just shareholders and be willing to invest in long term results. 

What to do

• Individual leaders: Focus on self-mastery, understand your true self, and what ‘good’ looks like in a situation. Unlearning is a crucial part of leadership development, especially for senior leaders. Let go of ego and be open to new ideas. 

• Businesses: Help leaders develop their emotional intelligence and unlearn old leadership styles. Emerging leader programs are a great way to teach foundational leadership skills. Focus on creating a thriving system, not short-term results. 

• Boards: Broaden the criteria for leadership selection to include human-centered skills, not just technical expertise. Organizations need to consider the social and environmental impact of their decisions. 

Overall, the conversation emphasizes the need for a fundamental shift in leadership thinking and practices. Leaders need to be adaptable, self-aware, and focused on creating thriving systems for the long term.

 

Karen and Paige explore: 

• What we’ve been told good leadership looks like simply isn’t enough to meet the needs, challenges and opportunities leaders are facing now and in the future. 
• Leaders are burnt out and don’t have time to learn how to become impactful in leading their teams. 
• There isn’t one solution to why leaders need an ecosystem of ideas to meet the uniqueness of the people and systems that they lead.

 

You can listen to the full podcast here.

Connect with Dr.  Paige Williams on LinkedIn now!