Thought partnering

Leaders are sharply criticised when they’re seen as stuck in the proverbial ivory tower but in some sense, organisations put them there. Leaders have to let go of enough detail to see the bigger picture, they must climb the mountain for a different perspective, and they must carry responsibility that is not shared by others in the organisation. The leader must be aware of and mitigate risks, challenges, and threats to the organisation’s existence without stirring alarm for the rest of the team. 

This is the leader’s burden. And to an extent, they must carry it alone. 

Sure, there will be trusted deputies with whom one can be more open, but there are boundaries that need to be maintained, a persona to project (confidence, certainty), and conflict between personal want and organisational need must be managed with integrity. 

On top of this unwavering requirement to manage oneself and be vigilant with openness, the leader must contend with relentless demands from others; everyone wants something from a leader. They hold the keys to the kingdom and everyone wants a piece. 

Most top leaders handle this aspect with stoic resolve. Admirable, but arguably not the healthiest or most productive approach. Humans are relational beings – working things out with others is part of how we function. In discussing our challenges we gain a deeper understanding of the issues, get different perspectives, and open doors to new possibilities, not to mention that life affirming aspect of feeling less alone. Being able to step out of the role and talk openly without concern for how it’s interpreted is the panacea for many leadership struggles. 

Thought partnership provides space for seasoned, experienced leaders to talk about what they’re going through in an unstructured format that has no objective other than to support the leader’s learning. My role is to be impartial – I have no vested interest in any particular outcome which frees the leader up from needing to justify or defend a position. In this configuration, the leader is able to look more critically at themselves and their decisions without worrying about consequences. 

It’s not uncommon for leaders to need no input from me to gain an insight; these emerge simply from listening to themselves articulate an issue in a way they haven’t before. 

This is not a fireside chat with a friend. Sometimes I challenge what I’m hearing. People are afraid to challenge leaders for good reason – called career limiting for a reason – but if action is being driven by unhealthy ego, there are blind spots, or there’s misalignment between stated intention and action – that needs to be called out. Supportive and direct. 

This requires constant vigilance; a leader must watch themselves and be conscious of what is shared and what’s not. This is tiring. It’s also inhibiting./ Limiting. 

It’s often in unconstrained, free flowing conversatino that a truth is revealed. Without the opportunity, those truths stay hidden.