Leadership
is often seen to be synonymous with top positions in an organization. The reasons
are not far to seek. Incumbents of top positions would typically possess high
competencies honed out of academic studies and practical experience. This would
lend maturity and ability to steer the complex affairs of an organization. This
conventional paradigm has some challenges in a world where young talent is
competent and competitive and is more desirous than ever to climb higher echelons
of an organization earlier than the previous generations hoped to. Many organizations
do try to provide fast track opportunities to promising youngsters through
faster job rotation and independent projects. Despite this variation,
leadership is still held synonymous with a position one occupies, the only
difference being age is perhaps less of a determining factor.
The
fast track paradigm while apparently seeming to find a solution actually ends
up leading to additional problems. Comparisons between composed, competent mature
leaders and aggressive, talented young leaders apart, the paradigm barely
covers a score of young performers at best. Performance tends to be driven by
visible metrics and fierce individualism. Eventually, most fast track
performers find themselves slowing down at some point of time or other based on
demand and supply of talent. Virtuous organizations clearly need a more broad-based
leadership canvas to be distinguished on a sustainable basis from others. Many
experts, accordingly, refer to the concept of grassroots leadership but this
also has its limitations.
Grassroots
leadership
Grassroots
leadership refers to a concept whereby leadership, as defined by the ability to
lead and make things happen, occurs on a universal basis across the bottom of
the organizational pyramid. Literally, it would extend to the multiple layers
of the organizational pyramid. Exciting and impressive the concept may sound,
it tends to remain largely utopian. The reasons often relate to the fact that
in most cases focused execution tends to be the need of the hour at the
operating levels. In addition, leadership requires space to create and innovate
for individuals, which obviously cannot be universally made available. Moreover,
most organizational processes are repetitive, requiring standardization and
perseverance than versatility and promptitude. There is, however, one or two domains
that could enable, or even require, grassroots leadership. Selling in the field
is a clear example of grassroots leadership.
A retail
sales person or a field sales person typically serves as a microcosm of the
company’s capabilities in its products and services as well as consumer need
fulfillment. In a sense, he or she serves as the chief officer of the territory
he or she serves. He or she is often expected to promote the products with
feature selling, coordinate with multiple agencies to ensure stocks and
payments, analyze and address competition, and in some cases take decisions on
the spot. A field salesman could be the lowest in the hierarchy but could be
expected to take leadership decisions of the highest order. Similarly,
designers could be expected to be creative and resonant regardless of the
level. These are, however, exceptions rather than the rule. In contrast to
grassroots leadership, and in addition to its need in specific domains, reverse
leadership is a paradigm of interest.
Reverse
leadership
Reverse
leadership is considered to occur when so called ordinary employees or
frontline managers, who are outside the leadership arena, demonstrate
exceptional leadership in making things happen in the face of anticipated and
unanticipated challenges. Reverse leadership provides solutions when apparently
none exists. Reverse leadership often ends up providing sustainable solutions
including tangibly better ways of performing corporate activities. A reverse
leader is often a product of mentorship and typically emerges in an ecosystem
that is willing to experiment rather than is terminally afraid of making mistakes.
Reverse leadership, unlike grassroots leadership, can occur in any domain or
department. Reverse leadership often also leads to visible improvement in the
overall leadership strength of an organization.
There
could be several examples of reverse leadership in day to day organizational
life. In the movie industry, one has the examples of assistant directors coming
up with astounding ways of taking certain scenes that defied the imagination of
highly experienced senior directors. Cricket teams usually encounter situations
where junior cricketers contribute innovative ideas of field formation in the
face of opposing teams piling up runs relentlessly. A field salesman could come
up with brilliant solution of off-label promotion of appropriate medicines. A designer
may come up with redesign of components to reduce costs and weights and enhance
strengths. A machine tool operator may come up with ideas to increase cutting
speeds with tool feeds backed by novel rake angles. An accounting officer may
come up with novel documentation system that cuts processing times and enhances
archival capabilities.
Characteristics
of reverse leaders
Reverse
leaders tend to have certain unique attributes that distinguish them from other
employees. Fundamentally, they tend to be result oriented and creative process
drivers. Observant always of the processes and products they own, they come up
with lateral solutions to intriguing problems. Typically, they can operate
under multiple constraints and yet provide optimal solutions. Such reverse
leaders would require leaders in formal positions who understand the reverse
leaders’ impatience and creativity in appropriate perspective, coaching and
encouraging them appropriately. The unique approaches of reverse leaders are
often borne out of their unique balancing of domain competencies with social
skills. They have positive attitudes towards life in general.
Reverse
leaders have a strong level of self-awareness which is accompanied by a strong
sense of self-worth too. Their confidence, coupled with social skills, enables
them to be non-egoistic but proud about their ability to drive a change. Their confidence
often arises from a deep understanding of their core domain and their ability
to contribute to the departmental and organizational competitiveness through
such skills. As a result, when an organization is confronted by a problem,
formal leaders and peers tend to look up to the reverse leaders for creative
results. Reverse leaders display a high level of integrity and risk taking in
their work, building trust and credibility in their competency and commitment.
Not
surprisingly, reverse leaders carry out their assignments for the sheer
pleasure of achieving results rather than for grandiose plans of creating
fabulous careers. Typically, therefore, they are seen to be transparent without any hidden
agendas. As an extension, they also tend to be individual performers being
content with the image of do-gooders. Much of their passion and dedication is
driven by a motto of delighting the customers, whether internal or external. The
satisfaction of changing the internal operating landscape through product and
process improvements and influencing customer preferences through better product
and service offerings tends to be of genuine fulfillment for them.
From
reverse to formal leadership
Given
the significant talent base, positive attitude set and selfless approach to
performance, it is desirable that an organization nurtures an ecosystem that
enables reverse leaders grow into formal leaders. This requires, at a simple
level, coaching and mentoring by select formal leaders to make
the reverse leaders aware of the larger contributions they can make. At a more
advanced level, they would need to acquire additional skills so that they can
replicate their accomplishments on a wider scale. While certain reverse leaders
would content to be individual contributors other reverse leaders would be
willing to take on additional roles. Organizations which are able to recognize
the different types of reverse leaders and recognize, develop, motivate and
reward them would develop a solid and sustainable leadership base, and remain
ahead of others.
Posted
by Dr CB Rao on December 26, 2012
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