The Promotion Paradox: What Helps You Climb the Leadership Ladder Isn't What Keeps You There
Welcome back, esteemed readers. Today, I continue my collaborative series with my good friend and renowned leadership expert, Dr. Bonita Thompson, a New York Times bestselling author. In my previous article, I explored the five mindsets—The Flux 5— leaders need to thrive in a world of wicked problems. In this article, Bonita and I delve into the paradox that the mindsets and skills propelling individuals into leadership roles often differ dramatically from those needed to excel once they're at the helm.
This paradox is a pivotal insight that bears repeating—the skills that get you promoted aren’t necessarily the ones that will help you thrive in leadership. It was the 'aha moment' that Bonita encountered during her groundbreaking research with mid-level managers and senior executives across various for-profit sectors in the U.S.
To unravel this paradox, Bonita investigated the distinctions between 'leader emergence' and 'leader effectiveness.' Leader emergence embodies the qualities that make someone stand out and be recognized as a leader—traits like assertiveness, confidence, charisma, and the ability to dominate conversations. While these attributes can help individuals rise to leadership positions, taken to extremes, they can undermine a leader’s effectiveness by disrupting collaborative environments.
On the other hand, leader effectiveness centers on a leader’s ability to harness the strengths of others to meet collective goals and boost group success. This aspect of leadership involves traits and skills that make colleagues view someone as an effective leader, including the ability to draw out the best in people, collaborate effectively, and align with the strategic vision of senior leadership. Effective leaders demonstrate social competence, deep organizational understanding, a readiness to learn, and consistent motivation. Rather than dominating, they empower by creating a culture of collaboration and teamwork.
As workplaces go virtual and the gig economy expands, leaders increasingly depend more on their ability to collaborate rather than command. In other words, leader effectiveness is becoming more essential than leader emergence. Consider Uber, which coordinates 4 million drivers as independent contractors, not traditional employees. Similarly, Apple oversees a massive supply chain managed through vendors, placing millions of workers outside its direct control, yet holding managers responsible for their performance. Today's leadership is less about dictating actions and more about identifying and motivating skilled individuals who can drive innovation and create standout products and solutions.
Understanding the paradox between emergence and effectiveness is critical because choosing the wrong leader, or settling for less effective leadership, can be costly. Leaders who have to learn collaboration skills through trial and error on the job—currently the dominant method for teaching these skills, become a major cost to an organization. For instance, the estimated cost of replacing a CEO after a poor hiring decision can reach about 5% of the firm’s annual profits, contributing to an industry where search firm revenues exceed $15 billion annually. Beyond financial costs, these decisions further compound broader societal challenges, highlighting our collective failure to address the mounting pile of complex, wicked problems.
Six Skills to Address This Paradox
The paradox between leader emergence and effectiveness presents a unique challenge: leaders must navigate their career progression while simultaneously ensuring their team's performance. Fortunately, Bonita’s research identified six crucial skills that leaders should develop to effectively bridge this gap:
Emphasize We, Not Me. Leaders must actively align team efforts around a shared purpose, emphasizing the importance of collective achievements over individual pursuits.
Practice Active Listening. By demonstrating openness to diverse opinions and a willingness to learn, leaders can cultivate a strong collaborative environment.
Understand Team Motives. Effective leaders skillfully recognize and adapt to the varying perspectives, desires, and motivations within their teams to enhance engagement and productivity.
Build Trust. In a landscape where collaboration thrives on trust rather than personal affinity, maintaining honesty is crucial for fostering dependable relationships.
Exhibit Confident Humility. Leaders should balance confidence with humility by valuing learning over asserting knowledge, promoting a growth-oriented team culture.
Foster Diverse Thinking. By encouraging a range of thoughts and ideas, leaders can leverage cognitive diversity to forge innovative solutions and superior strategies.
These skills are designed not only to enhance personal leadership capabilities but also to boost overall team success. By embracing these skills, leaders can navigate the complexities of modern leadership more effectively and help society turn the tide on wicked problems.
Looking Ahead
Let’s get this out of the way—Bonita is a rockstar in collaborative leadership and show tunes (but that is a different article). This article only touches upon her insights. For more, I encourage you to follow her on LinkedIn.