By Roger Schwarz
Jossey-Bass ©2013
In Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams, author
Roger Schwarz argues that many leaders fail today
because they
cling to the leadership approach of what he calls unilateral control. This approach
will be familiar to most: The leader makes the decisions, and the others obey.
Effective
leaders, writes Schwarz, reject the unilateral control approach in favor of a
mutual learning approach. With this
approach, leaders and the other members of the team join together to learn,
decide and act as one cohesive unit. Leadership is transferred to the whole
team and not
just one commander.
Why the Unilateral Control Approach Fails
The problem
with the unilateral control approach, as Schwarz eloquently details, begins
with the values and assumptions that make up the mindset. The values are
• Win, don’t
lose. (You value your goals as you
define
them.)
• Be right.
(One of your favorite phrases might be, “I
told you
so.”)
• Minimize
expression of negative feelings. (You don’t want to know about other people’s
frustrations and anger, and you keep yours hidden as well.)
• Act
rational. (You don’t see the need for feelings, especially when your position
is perfectly logical and unassailable.)
The
unilateral mindset also features destructive assumptions, writes Schwarz,
including but not limited to
• “I
understand the situation; those who disagree, don’t.”
• “I have
pure motives; those who disagree have questionable ones.”
• “My
feelings and behavior are justified.”
Not
surprisingly, according to Schwarz, the behavior engendered by this mindset is
hardly constructive. Some examples of this behavior: withholding relevant
information; speaking in general terms and not agreeing on what important words
mean; keeping reasoning private and
not asking
others about their reasoning; controlling the conversation; and acting on
untested assumptions and inferences as if they were true.
The result
of the unilateral control mindset, writes Schwarz, is lackluster team
performance, strained relations, and less individual well-being.
Why the Mutual Learning Approach Succeeds
In contrast,
the mutual learning mindset, Schwarz writes, presents a much different set of
values, assumptions and behavior, leading to much more positive results. As
described by Schwarz, the values of the mutual learning mindset are
transparency, control, informed choice, accountability and compassion. The
assumptions of the mutual learning mindset reflect these
values and
include “I have information but so do other people.” “Each of us sees things others don’t.”
“Differences are opportunities for learning.”
The values
and assumptions of the mutual learning mindset, writes Schwarz, lead to
behaviors such as
• Stating
views and asking genuine questions.
• Explaining
reasoning and intent.
• Focusing
on interests, not positions.
• Testing
assumptions and inferences.
As expected,
the result of such behavior is better team performance, better working
relationships and greater individual well-being.
In addition
to individual behavior, Schwarz shows how the mutual learning mindset can guide
the design of the team — its structures and processes — to ensure the best
results.
The power of
Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams is not just the breadth of Schwarz’s insight but also the depth
and clarity with which Schwarz describes each issue.
The general
theme of Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams may be familiar. Schwarz, however, has written a book on new
leadership that is exceptionally practical and applicable.
Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams is not
filled with exemplary anecdotes of what others have done; instead, the book
concentrates — in detail — on the specific values, assumptions and behaviors
that leaders must accept and adopt if they are to be successful.
The Buzz
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