Module 4 Should the "Boss" always know the answers?

The additional reading this week is an article titled, “How to Lead When You're Not the Boss.” Reflect on these questions:

• How does the question asked in the title of this RB relate to what Linsky proposes in his video on Adaptive Leadership (listed in Readings and Video for this Module)?
• Have you had to lead in similar situations?
• How were you able to lead?
• What tenets of Adaptive leadership might be employed in such situations?
• Finally, if you have not been in such a situation, imagine you were in your workplace and how you might react to similar circumstances!

Should the "Boss" always know the answers?

How does the question asked in the title of this RB relate to what Linsky proposes in his video on Adaptive Leadership (listed in Readings and Video for this Module)? Have you had to lead in similar situations? How were you able to lead? What tenets of Adaptive leadership might be employed in such situations?

The boss not knowing all the answers is something that sounds strange at first. Why would anyone want a boss who does not know what they are doing? Why should they be the boss if you can do your job better than they can? 

What is important to understand is that within organizations, every person serves a role at any given time. Some people are 'smarter' or 'better' than others at certain tasks or behaviors, and this may be true for employees and bosses. It could be that a young person who grew up with technology can fly through Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, but the boss never learned how to use the programs. Instead of being disgruntled by a situation like this, one should understand that there are ways to lead an organization even when you're not the boss. "Leadership has nothing to do with position...leadership is an activity, a behavior, as one person stepping into a situation involving a bunch of other human beings for some purpose" (Linksy, 2011). Moreover, Linsky (2011) discusses how organizations face challenges of all types, but the kinds of problems that require this this outlook on leadership are "problems that require adaptation."

From a leadership perspective, it is imperative to become comfortable with not knowing all the answers, and instead becoming a better leader. Morrison (2019) talks about how it is not how technically competent you are as a leader that matters; it matters not what degrees you have, what certifications you have, or what patents you have. But rather, the single biggest differentiator to successful leadership is how leaders go about establishing "positive and empowering leadership behaviors" (Morrison, 2019). 

Essentially, this means that leadership is about people, and that no matter how smart one might be as a leader, it does not automatically make them the smartest person in the room. Leaders must move away from seeing knowledge as a zero-sum game where a person either knows the answer or they don't. Instead, leaders should view problems as something to tackle as a team effort, a collective group of people attempting to solve a challenge. 

As a follower, by understanding that people in managerial and supervisory positions do not have all the answers and can be wrong, and also that leadership is a behavior that anyone can do, it is crucial to understand how to go about it. By embracing the 'leadership by anyone' mentality, organizations can become more flexible and adaptable. Heifetz et al. (2009) write that there a key characteristics of adaptive organizations: "1) elephants in the room are named, 2) responsibility for the organization's future is shared, 3) independent judgement is expected, 4) leadership capacity is developed, 5) reflection and continuous learning are institutionalized."  Heifetz et al. (2009) also mention that in adaptive organizations, "no question is off limits" in meetings, that titles and functional boundaries can erode loyalty to the organization as a whole because individuals want to "protect one's turf," and that leadership is a daily responsibility and training/development must be recurring. Adaptive organizations level the playing field and view each member as valuable; they recognize people as human beings and part of the collective team rather than as individual contributors. 

Moreover, "often the most powerful thing you can do to help your organization is to buy time rather than apply quick technical fixes that may have worked in the past" (Heifetz et al., 2009). Highly adaptable organizations must be willing to change and understand that change takes time and a concerted group effort. Every situation is different even if something may look similar to something that has happened in the past. Additionally, every team is different - what worked for the last group of employees (let's say summer interns) may not work for the current group. Followers play a powerful role within organizations because they can influence within. It is okay to challenge the boss. It is okay to disagree. It is also not just the boss' job to create the culture and climate in the organization; followers are just as responsible. Leading when not the boss means building relationships, orienting the team, sharing responsibility, and more.

Sharp & Fisher (2009) reinforce some of the concepts shared by Linksy (2011) in the YouTube video as they write that "real leadership is never a matter of simple rank" (p. 3). Some of the best ways for people to lead, who are not in traditional leadership roles, are to succeed are to establish goals, think systematically, learn from experience-while it's happening, engage others, and provide feedback (Sharp & Fisher, 2009). Clarifying objectives, encouraging prioritization and systematization of data, getting the best out of every team member through brainstorming and divide and conquer according to skillset, and showing feedback through appreciation and constructive criticism are all ways (i.e., tenets of adaptive leadership) to lead when you're not the boss (Sharp & Fisher, 2009).

In the military, rank tends to hold a lot of weight in discussions and daily operations. Generally, lower ranking members' voices and opinions are not as valued as higher ranking members', if they are even asked. Obviously, this discounts much of what this blog illuminates. However, there are certain situations where the idea of leadership as a behavior is prevalent in the military. Often, this is encountered in various military training schools, such as the Army Jungle school, where candidates undergo a series of grueling tests to graduate; and throughout this, members strip their uniforms of their ranks so only true leadership shines through (Flanagan, 2023). In this school, you might have a high ranking officer paired with a low ranking enlisted member who must traverse a dense jungle in heavy rain - and in such a situation, the lower ranking member is likely much more proficient at land navigation. In groups, the members who keep a team's morale and composure up are often seen as leaders. These soldiers build relationships, clear up objectives, make sure everyone is on the same page, hold people accountable, ensure that everyone holds responsibility for the teams' success, and give and take feedback frequently. In a way, this is almost like a social experiment, but many times over, it is not the highest ranking soldier surfacing as the best leader. This goes to show that leadership does not depend on rank, but it is indeed a behavior.

In my experience, I used to become frustrated when my supervisor had lofty goals and objectives, and did not know the answers. I could not understand why this person was working in the role they were. I remember venting to some co-workers and friends because I just couldn't handle it at times. Why didn't my boss know the answers? They had been in the military longer and are higher ranking. Eventually, I learned that my role as a follower was to help my superiors; that my job was to make sure they knew the answers to relevant situations to them so that they could make educated decisions with their wisdom and experience. I took this to heart and started to lead in that fashion as well instead of playing the charade. I started to see my 'subordinates' as advisors, so I would often ask for their opinion on how to go about something or run my thought process by them. I began respecting their inputs and they began to feel valued, which turned into increased morale and us winning team awards left and right. Ultimately, I learned that leaders need to be humble and not pretend they know everything, and that followers can lead in organizations in many ways (as mentioned earlier). 

Chad

References:

Flanagan, G. (2023). How Army jungle soldiers are training for a possible war with China. Insider Business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwBYPgBK_OA&ab_channel=InsiderBusiness

Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership. Cambridge Leadership Associates. 

Linsky, M. (2011, April 13). TEDxStCharles - Marty Linsky - adaptive leadership-leading change [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af-cSvnEExM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks 

Morrison, C. (2019, May 7). Becoming a tech leader requires actually leading | crystal morrison | tedxstripdistrict [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo5CM9ZD1yM&t=216s&ab_channel=TEDxTalks 

Sharp, A., & Fisher, R. (2009). How to lead when you're not the boss. Harvard Management Update, 14(3), 1-2. https://web-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=873f0c46-a367-44e1-9ecd-373b74362ff1%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPXNzbyZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmU%3d#AN=36826490&db=bth