Leadership is Plural, and Other Insights on Engagement

A colleague referred me to an interesting Harvard Business School article on leadership from Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End.

Kanter discusses the importance of creating a culture where natural leaders can emerge, which is often the case during winning streaks (and often lacking during losing streaks). This is equally true in both sports and business.

Says Kanter:

Winning teams and successful organizations become increasingly less dependent on the person called the commander-in-chief—even though, ironically, the same top managers are more likely to stay in place during winning streaks. As a pattern of success continues, many people at many levels take on leadership roles.

By creating the right environment, these managers earn the respect and confidence of their team, which in turn ensures that the management will endure. It's a virtuous circle.

Kanter goes on to explain how this forms the three cornerstones of confidence:

Leaders can multiply on the field when leaders at the top establish the support structure to make further leadership possible. Leaders construct and reinforce the cornerstones of confidence... The mission statement for leaders has three imperatives, one for each stone: to ensure accountability, cultivate collaboration, and encourage initiative.

A quote I particularly liked from the article comes from Mike Krzyzewski, coach of Duke's men's basketball team: "Leadership is plural."

For more details, read the full article below...

How Leaders Build Winning Streaks — HBS Working Knowledge