Thursday's Leadership Insight: The Power of Paradoxical Leadership

Leadership has always been hard work and much more than a degree or title. This is especially true in today's complex world. Patrick Lencioni of the Table group shares a story about sitting in the audience of a graduation ceremony and listening to a speaker proclaims that as graduates, "you are the leaders of the future. "Lencioni states he wants to jump up and yell at them, saying Don't tell them they need to know that leadership is hard and not a gift. "Leadership in today's world has many challenges. It requires that leaders be agile to change yet consistent in values, learn new content skills in the context of the time they lead, and embrace paradox in their leadership practice. Thomas Jefferson, the Third President of the United States, understood paradox well. His guidance was that "matters of style swim with the current and in matters of principle stand like a rock. Great leaders embrace paradoxical behaviors to enhance their leadership practice.

Dr. Tim Elmore argues in "The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership" that effective leadership requires embracing seemingly contradictory behaviors and qualities. This paradoxical leadership approach can benefit leaders and those they serve significantly. A leader's understanding and application of a paradox is a crucial leadership content skill. This Thursday's leadership insight is the first of a two-part series on paradoxical leadership. Ten paradoxes all leaders must come to grips with will be shared, drawing heavily on Dr. Elmore's work and other leadership experts. This week, we consider What a paradox is, what paradoxical leadership is, and the five paradoxes of leadership.

Quora defines a paradox as " A statement or situation that seems self-contradictory or absurd but may be true in reality. An example would be "you have to spend money to make money."

In leadership, paradoxes refer to seemingly opposing qualities or behaviors that leaders must balance and embody simultaneously to be effective. Michael Mc Kinney describes paradoxical leadership. In a LeadingBlog, leadership Now The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership writes, "LIFE is full of paradoxes. Sometimes, we move forward by backing off, performing while being reflective, being an extrovert and an introvert, leading and following, confident and humble. Paradoxes are not to be solved but managed. They are a continuum to move along. It requires a heightened level of awareness. Leaders bring clarity to these paradoxes.

In?The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership ?by Tim Elmore, he discusses eight such paradoxes of uncommon leaders. In such volatile times, embracing these paradoxes is critical for effective leadership. Leadership is seldom easy, but today, it allows us to collaborate with a more educated, entitled, and savvy population with greater expectations of satisfaction and rewards than in past generations. Uncommon leaders stand out because they can juggle seemingly contradictory traits to lead such people."

Five Leadership Paradoxes of Uncommon Leadership are;

?Paradox #1 Uncommon leadership is a choice to serve first before leading.

Robert Greenleaf, author of Servant Leadership, wrote that true leaders are"servants first." They choose to serve first. ??The late leadership author Jim Rohn expounded on the paradox." "the challenge of leadership is "The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor but without folly."

Paradox #2: Uncommon Leadership ?Balance Both Confidence and Humility? ?

Confidence stays on the course and rusts themselves, while humility allows leaders to learn and grow. Confidence is knowing you don't have all the answers as a leader and being open to learning. Abraham ?Lincoln was known for his self-deprecating humor and humble demeanor, yet he also showed unwavering confidence in his convictions, especially regarding preserving the Union.

Paradox #3: Uncommon Leaders Leverage Both Their Vision and Their Blind Spots

Vision gives leaders (and teams) a direction, but blind spots often motivate them to approach an idea in an unconventional way—and believe they can pull it off. Not knowing forces leaders to collaborate, learn, move, and be pragmatic in their approaches. Walt Disney wanted to create a world, a park, that would entertain people of all ages. Disney's forward-thinking approach, exemplified by projects like EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow), demonstrated his ability to envision and work towards a better future. McKinney writes in his Leadership Now blog, "Most new ventures require a leader to possess a clear target they want to hit. At the same time, their inability to see all the obstacles or challenges ahead of time helps them maintain their energy as they try to hit their target. In short, leaders usually have to?see something?and?fail to see something?to reach their goal."

Paradox #4: Uncommon Leaders Embrace Both Visibility and Invisibility

Leadership presence is critical, especially in a crisis. Leaders in these times must be seen. Leadership expert John Maxwell says that in times of crisis," a huge spotlight is shined on leadership." Effective leaders know they must step back to let others in the organization carry on their roles. They know it is not about all of them, and leaders in the organization must have the space to step up. Leadership expert ?Sheryl Sandberg often says, "Leadership is about making others better due to your presence and ensuring that impact lasts in your absence. "Effective leadership is stepping back and letting other organization leaders lead. Adam Silver, Commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA), demonstrated paradoxical leadership during the COVID-19 crisis. Silver took a visible stance by making the bold decision to suspend the season but also stepped back to allow team owners and players to have a voice in subsequent decisions.

Paradox #5: Uncommon Leaders Are Both Stubborn and Open-Minded

Uncommon leaders possess a dogged determination to reach the vision and goal of the organization. They understand leaders to get things done, the what. These leaders also know they never will do it alone and don't know all the answers. The paradox is to keep an" eye on the prize" and be open to "the how "to capture the prize. This focus with an open-minded team approach leads to flexibility and agility to succeed. This leader has the goal yet knows. They must be open to their teams' voices to flex and adapt to changing realities. Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said best: "The most incredibly interesting thing about being a leader is what adjustments you make and how to make them while keeping your core principles alive and well." Nick Saban's Alabama football teams, like Coach Krzyzewski's Duke Basketball teams, always had the same goals. What made them so successful was their commitment to excellence and adept halftime adjustments. This paradox requires confidence and humility to adjust, learn, and respond to counsel with discernment on how the goal will be achieved.

Embracing these five leadership paradoxes offers several advantages, including ;

1. Adaptability: Leaders who can embody seemingly contradictory qualities are better equipped to handle diverse situations and collaborate with team members

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2. Learning and forward-thinking in leadership practice and open-mindedness in decision-making and actions. The ability to see multiple perspectives fosters creative problem-solving where ?innovation will ?be welcome and encouraged

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3.? A response-based approach in leadership practice to challenges by utilizing learning, team connection, and engagement instead of a reaction-based approach. Leaders comfortable with paradoxes can better navigate complexity and uncertainty with collaboration focused on the best ways to reach goals.

4.? The leader who embraces these paradoxes develops other leaders and creates a psychologically safe culture of learning from success and challenge.

5.? .The leader who embraces these paradoxes develops their leadership practice skills and encourages leadership development and mentoring to build future "bench strength."

In today's rapidly changing environment, the ability to navigate paradoxes is becoming increasingly crucial for effective leadership practice. By mastering these seemingly contradictory skills and qualities, leaders can better inspire, guide, and empower their teams and organizations to build people up and achieve exceptional results.

The leadership questions for you then are:

1.? Do you practice these paradoxes in your leadership practice?

2.? How can you develop your leadership skills to embrace these paradoxes?

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