How to Lead from Below
"The importance of leadership from the top is firmly embedded in corporate culture. An image survives of the all-powerful CEO, able to change the way a company operates at will. But the truth is that...change will have to come from those leading from below, rather than relying on leadership from the top...So, how do managers...lead from below successfully? While each situation differs, there are several common threads...
• Make the decision to be a leader...
• Focus on influence, not control...
• Make your mental organizational chart horizontal rather than vertical...
• Work on your "trusted adviser" skills...
• Don't wait for the perfect time, just find a good time...
• Integrate a broader range of risks and potential impacts into your business decisions...
• Expose yourself to a broader range of perspectives...
• Create vacuums rather than imposing solutions...
• Encourage questions without answers...
• Ask "what if" questions...
• Openly discuss values as well as value...
• Refresh your radar screen periodically...
These methods for encouraging leadership from below are applicable at any level of the organization. Indeed, some of the most effective leaders from below have applied these same techniques to encourage ideas bubbling up within their own domains.
The payoff can be enormous. If viewed as a resource rather than a threat, leadership from below can be a powerful force for creating change, developing organizational flexibility and helping companies flourish in a dynamic world."
Read more in Leading From Below - WSJ.com.
