STEALTH LEADERSHIP

A KEY TREND AND OPPORTUNITY - STEALTH LEADERSHIP

Gallup research shows us that 85% of employees worldwide are disengaged and disinterested in the workplace. In Australia the figures are around 75%. In US too it is a matter of concern. From where I sit, it is hardly coincidental that 7 out of 10 business aren’t achieving their highest potential! 7 out of 10!

The chances are that your business is lying in wait, a real sleeping giant, just waiting to be woken up.

As well, 71% of organisations say their leaders are not ready to lead their organizations into the future.

How on earth are businesses and organisations going to have any sort of success with figures like these?

We live in interesting times, everything is changing so quickly. To be in business tomorrow, we can’t be looking behind us at what we did yesterday, we need to be looking ahead to the emerging future. Business and leadership models that work 20-50 years ago, just don’t work today.

I’m sure you would agree that we’ve come a long way since the Industrial Revolution. Not much in our lives would be recognised by someone from back in the late 18th century. Our technology is incredible and well beyond what they could have ever imagined. We have cars, homes and our living standards in the western world are truly amazing in comparison.

However, while we have come all this way, we are still stuck in the past with thinking from the industrial era.

The standard pyramid business model that came about way back in the 18th century is still what most companies base business on today. Yes, there has been some evolution however the basic assumptions that this model was built on are still echoing in business. This model was created with the need to control and numb the masses. This was essential if you were going to get a large number of people to do menial and repetitive tasks day in day out for up to 12 hours a day in questionable conditions. This model worked well during that time.

However, we are now living in a more conscious time. We are more connected than ever to our own spirituality and that of the consciousness of humanity. I’m sure you will agree this model no longer has a place in our businesses and organisations, but still many leaders follow this.

As we move forward, we want to base our businesses on assumptions such as these:

·        All people are of equal worth

·        If you treat people like adults they will act like adults

·        People are essentially good and can be trusted

·        Everyone is able to handle difficult and sensitive news

·        The community is richer if all can contribute

To me this is the emerging future of organisations. This is where we find the most innovative and progressives businesses, here we find the most passionate of business owners and employees. Here we find a workplace where we would all like to work and feel at home, live our purpose, feel that we are valued for who we are and that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves.

 

If we continue to look to the past models for direction on how to run our businesses and organisations then we are doing everyone a disservice. It is time to take a fresh look, to discover new paradigms. To revision what it means to be in business and how that can look. The 21st century conscious business needs 21st century structure which is living and evolving with every step.

For us to be at the top of our game we need to start with leadership that is right and attuned for our times. 

Here we have a real sleeping giant. If we can turn things around, change the way we do business, develop new management and leadership models, then we can truly awaken the sleeping giant of potential that lay in wait. Waiting. Waiting for that day, when we get our act together and redefine what it means to be a leader, waiting for us to redefine what it means to be at work and develop a sense of community where people can grow and develop together. Where ideas flow and grow. Here businesses can truly unleash their Ultimate Impact on the world.

Being a leader is no longer about sitting back in a penthouse office making demands of the troops. It’s about being down there in the basement stoking the fires of passion. It’s about empowering each person to be their best, while working together as a team. It’s not about imposing your vision on them but, instead bringing the team into a place of Vision. This is what Stealth Leadership is all about.

Stealth Leadership is an approach to leadership that promotes community in the business opening up the opportunity for the team to grow and develop. It brings a new sense of vision and passion into the everyday lives of employees, managers, CEO and all stakeholders. It empowers each person to work at their skill level, to embrace their own passions and grow within the business.

 

Bonsai or Forest

Being a Stealth leader can be like be a gardener. You prepare the soil ready for your seed. The ground is weeded, turned over, fertilised, the seed planted and watered. You nurture this little seed with the vision of it becoming a mighty tree. It might be a fruit tree or a massive elm tree. Whatever it is you see and dream about the potential of what you have planted.

As the tree starts to sprout and take shape you then have options. What kind of tree are you going to allow it to grow into?

Are you going to take to it with the pruning shears, are you going to control and tame it take shape just exactly your way? Or are you going to let it grow and develop to become what it is this tree wants to become?

A good question. The type of leadership that a business has will shape the future of the business, just like a gardener shaping the tree. If you prune and shape the tree continuously, taking control at every turn, controlling exactly what happens every day, what are you going to get? A Bonsai. So, if you’d been hoping for a big shady tree or an abundance of fruit, this isn’t going to do it, is it? The tree’s growth and development has been severely limited. It will never be any bigger than this tiny version of itself. It doesn’t matter if it was the biggest tree ever in existence, if it’s growth has been limited like this, it might just be 30cm high.

Maybe you want your tree to grow, but still want to control the way it grows, so it goes “my way.” I want my tree to be this shape and fill this space. Then you might take to it with Espalier and grow a flat tree against a wall. Yes, your business is growing and bearing fruit, but it is always going to be a flat tree against a wall -limited.

Suddenly you have a vision of what the tree could become and start at it with the pruning shears, chopping away at this branch and that branch, clearing off the new growth, so that it will look all pretty in the garden, with Topiary. How many businesses do this? There it is, new growth, new possibilities coming along and chop, no, doesn’t fit the image, or the idea of the leader. Healthy branches maybe closed down, because simply, no we want to focus in this direction.

Or, we can grow our tree and allow it to grow and develop the way it is meant to. Allowing new growth to come forth, reaching up to the sky or out to the furthest limits. It produces new seeds, new opportunities. Branches sprout forth where you don’t expect them to. You watch it and ensure that it has all that it needs to continue growing and be healthy. Sometimes you might need to prune a little, to clear off dead branches or ensure that it doesn’t have an insect infestation, but most of all, you nourish it, feed it, water it and give it the space it needs to grow.

Businesses like this are the ones that are forging ahead, who dominate the scenery. They are innovative, they are in the forefront of the consumers mind. They are the businesses that are out there changing the landscape of what it means to be a business in the 21st century – a business with social conscious, that creates not just a business, but an ecosystem.

When you let a tree truly flourish, grow and reach out to be all that it can, it isn’t just a tree. It really can become an ecosystem. As it grows, it sprouts more and more seeds. If you continue to nurture the environment, you start to notice seedlings appear all around. Here you have the potential, of not a tree, it has the potential to become a whole forest.

So, the question is; do you want your business to be a bonsai or a forest?

Stealth Leadership is about creating an environment where people can grow and collaborate to create their ultimate impact together.

It may sound like I’m suggesting a step back and do-nothing approach to leadership, but that isn’t so. Just as a good gardener doesn’t leave the growth and health of his garden to chance, neither does a stealth leader. The gardener needs to be aware of the conditions, the opportunities for growth and the possible threats to new and continuous growth. They trust the tree to know it’s best path and that if allowed to shot and sprout in different directions it will take full advantage of the light and the nutrients available to it.

The gardener is aware of what it needs. If a branch isn’t looking too healthy, they will find out why and look at the options for it. Sometimes dead or sick branches need to be removed. Sometimes insects need to be controlled or maybe a fungus that may cause damage. However, this gardener doesn’t see it as their job to spend hours cutting back and controlling the tree. They have a whole garden to tend to – not just one little tree. And maybe what they really want to be is not a gardener but a forest ranger.

 

 

Don’t follow me - Being the leader who seeks no followers.

 

There is more to being a leader than just being the servant. When I take on a leadership role I feel I take it as a whole being. Sometimes you need to be out the front directing. Other times you need to be by their sides and be the Teacher. Then you might be on the side lines cheering them on as the Coach. Then you move behind them and are there to support them and whisper to them words of encouragement as their Mentor. I get this feeling of lifting up and underpinning the whole group or team and being for them whatever it is they need me to be. Recognising that what they need in this moment may be different to what they need in the next.

It is not about me and any sense of my own power or greatness, it is truly how can I serve this group of people at the highest level and help them to recognise and achieve their own greatness. I don’t want them to follow me, but to follow their own guidance and to discover their own potential. I like to go into “stealth” mode as much as possible – being the frame to their Picasso. You know it is there but it’s not the focus.

When we think of the word “Stealth” we immediate think of Stealth aircraft. They are sleek and elegant in their design and action. Quietly, they go about their business, they pick up on everything that is going on around them, without notice, without announcing themselves, and make a big impact.

To be a Stealth Leader is not about spying on people, but quietly and elegantly being where they need to be. Offering support and providing the right kind of leadership when it is needed. It is not about being seen themselves; it is not about collecting followers and persuading people to agree with them and definitely not about being the centre of attention. It is about being aware, consciously lifting up people to being the best they can be. It’s about creating an atmosphere of co-operation and communication. It’s about holding the space where each person can shine as an individual, while working together as a team to bring out their highest future potential as one.

Stealth Leadership is the essence of being conscious and graceful leader. If you look very carefully you may find the Stealth Leaders among us aren’t always the “official leader’’, but the ones who work tirelessly for the betterment of all.

I came to understand that as a leader one of the most important roles is to help others to find their strengths and give them opportunity to explore and develop them.

 

The aim of being a Stealth Leader is to move into the leading from behind angle as much as possible, to be the mentor. You have given your team all of the tools, you have ensured that they know what to do and that they have the skills necessary. Now it is time to let them run with it. The greatest value will come from your people when you can hold yourself back and give them the opportunity to create new ideas, explore, make mistakes and ultimately solve the solutions in their own way.

The truth is, you can’t be everything. Each person on your team has a different perspective and a different set of skills. No-one person is better than the other, they are just different. The greatest leaders of all time are always those who recognise their own limitations and see that when they work with others, the limitations disappear. Working with others completes the picture and opens up to infinite possibilities of where one idea can go. David Ogilvy, widely revered as a founding father of modern advertising (and founder of one of its most famous agencies), is credited with the following: ''If you always hire people who are smaller than you, we shall become a company of dwarfs. If, on the other hand, you always hire people who are bigger than you, we shall become a company of giants.''

A Stealth Leader has the ability to step back and allow others to shine. To allow them to find the solutions, to gather the information and make the conclusion. Your job is to hold the space. Create an environment where people can come together, have a sense of belonging and safety that empowers them to unleash their most creative genius and make the UNIFEID VISION a reality.

It is not about feeding them new ideas and giving them direction. It is about asking the questions, that expands their thinking and moves them from good to great. It is helping each one of their team explore and develop their own personal ULTIMATE IMPACT, that they can then focus in to the ULTIMATE IMPACT of the business.

There are 2 things that the traditional concept of what a good leader is, expect of leadership; that of, having a vision and being a decision maker. While a Stealth leader usually does have a vision, and can make the hard decisions, they see that their ULTIMATE IMPACT on their team/business comes when the don’t inflict their vision and ideas on them. They see their role as being the catalyst for new ideas, new visions to develop that are greater than that they could have come up with on their own. They see themselves as equal partners with the team. Instead of telling the team which direction to take, they inquire, they ask questions, they delve into the concepts with the team, which opens the ideas and thinking process to go even deeper and create even greater ideas and methods.

At the end of the process they don’t stand up and make the final decision. If the team doesn’t agree, then there is room for more improvement. How can we meld these ideas into one or what can we take from here and add to there to make this even better? What will it take to create something that everyone will agree on? What haven’t we seen yet?

Yes, there are times when decisions have to be made, but it is the skill of a Stealth Leader to be able to recognise when they have to make it or when there is further room for growth and development of the team and the innovations.

Maybe most importantly, the Stealth Leader has to have patience. While in business, we have deadlines which are vital, the Stealth Leader also recognises that we need to sometimes take our time in allowing the greatest ideas to develop, be tried, for mistakes to happen and for even for the whole idea to be scrapped and start again. It takes patience with individuals, to guide them in the process of coming up with their own answers and solutions, rather than just telling them what to do.

 “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” — Lao Tzu

 

We need to take our responsibility as a leader seriously; not from a place of privilege but from a place of service. Those who do, have the businesses that really flourish, and have the people who have the most passion and motivation and whether a team, a business or organisation, it will reach beyond what we all dreamt was possible and unleash its Ultimate Impact.

If you want to grow a Bonsai, it is going to take your whole time shaping and pruning that one tree. If you want to grow a forest, you have to let the branches take responsibility for their own direction and growth. Yes, you can guide them, but you have a whole forest to grow, you don’t need to be fully immersed in every single detail.

 

The Seven Stars of Stealth Leadership Model

The Seven Star Stealth Leadership Model has been developed as an accumulation of experience of Ms Andrea Putting, my co-author and I in Leadership and Business along with intuitive knowledge and visionary perception. It takes into consideration what is important for a leader personally, so that they are aligned with their own sense of purpose and how they can have their ultimate impact; along with how to develop a community where people grow, work together and create a Unified Vision that gives all a sense of purpose, fulfilment and to unleash their collective Ultimate Impact as well.

When the leaders of an organisation are centred and connected with their own sense of purpose and direction, they naturally attract and build a better workplace environment where their employees love to work. They feel motivated and inspired to be a part of the team and are working as one towards a purpose. Business models evolve into being heart and soul focused. Inspiration comes and deep change can take place. Success in business comes when you have a successful team of inspired and motivated people around you.

When a business connects in with a deeper soul purpose, it awakens to a new world: a world in which their business is embraced, not just as a business, but as a major influence on the world. It creates a legacy.

Are you ready to accept the challenge and create a legacy you can be proud of?

 Commitment:

It’s obvious isn’t it? To be a great leader, you must have a commitment to what you are doing. It must be a full body YES. To do this, we need to understand why this is important to us and explore who we are and how we can have our Ultimate Impact on the world. Only then can we be a great leader and take on the challenges that will be presented before us.

When we are committed to our role, we are empowered to take control of our commitments, then we can reach our goals and make our Ultimate Impact.

Completeness:

We use the word completeness because this incorporates everything. Mind, Body and Soul – you become complete. It is also reminding us, that it is about more than a job, it is about family, community and society as a whole.

When we are at our optimal health and everything is in balance we can contribute to business, society and have energy for self and family. What is important is to empower each leader to create a balance in their life so that they can work at achieve their goals without burnout.

Competence:

Another name for this to be called could Know Your Product. Just the same as you need to know the all the ins and outs of your products and services this business provides, you need to know inside out the product that is yourself.

When we are doing something that comes naturally, we are going to be more energised and able to do more. If it is something we also feel a sense of calling for as well, we are going to ready to put our all into it.

Communication:

The essence of a Stealth Leader is one who not just listens, but really hears what is going on. Good communication skills help to empower the team by giving them a safe space that they can communicate in and share their ideas, dreams and concerns.

When an organisation or a team fail, it is usually because the leader has failed to communicate what to do and why.

Good communication can make a leader and the organisation. Bad communication will have it fail. It is as simple of that. It is, vital that we develop our skills for listen and sharing with our team in a manner that elicits full support and empowers others. Communication is a very big topic with lots of different areas to explore. 

Community:

We don’t often talk about community in business. Do we even think about the workplace is a community?

A community can be defined as a group of people with a common sense of purpose. This is so vital in a business. We need to have that clear understanding of what our purpose it. When we build this as a team, everyone feels ownership and is inspired to work to find success together and unleash our Ultimate Impact.

Catalyst:

As a leader, we need to be a catalyst. We need champion change, helping people to embrace changes as it happens. And very importantly we need to be the spark that brings about new ideas and innovations.

While innovation is seen to be a vital part of organisational growth, it is very much neglected. It is what is put on the back-burner as we deal with all of our day to day running of business. For us to achieve our Ultimate Impact in the world, we need to brave and bold to put innovation right on the top of our agenda.

Collaboration:

Collaboration is really important for a business to be able to grow beyond the limits it has self-imposed. What one person or business can do on its own can be multiplied when we work in collaboration with others.

To collaborate with others, we need to be willing and open to build relationships. It is through these that we are able to start to understand each other, and how you can work together with a bigger purpose.

 

These seven stars are the focus of our upcoming book on Stealth Leadership and will provide guidance on becoming a Stealth Leader who grows people and organisations.