This dynamic is especially crucial for leaders, whose core function is to absorb ambiguity on behalf of the team.
When a real leader walks into a room full of uncertainty, the room relaxes because the ambiguity has been taken on by someone else.
That is the job working as intended.
The problem is what happens next: as soon as the leader steps away, everyone wakes up from the dream and the uncertainty flows right back to where it was.
The real test of leadership is whether the team can do more than they could before the leader stepped in the first time, without him being there.
If the answer is no, it was just a one-man show wearing a leadership label.
This dynamic is especially crucial for leaders, whose core function is to absorb ambiguity on behalf of the team.
When a real leader walks into a room full of uncertainty, the room relaxes because the ambiguity has been taken on by someone else.
That is the job working as intended.
The problem is what happens next: as soon as the leader steps away, everyone wakes up from the dream and the uncertainty flows right back to where it was.
The real test of leadership is whether the team can do more than they could before the leader stepped in the first time, without him being there.
If the answer is no, it was just a one-man show wearing a leadership label.
Thanks for writing this!
thanks for this response - such a well-articulated summary of exactly what I am seeing.