Ph.D. in Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership

And do we know how that worked out for the institution, Josh? Just curious. ...is it still even THERE?

 

Reminds me of the Navy's eternal (and eternally stupid) quest to find a "management system" to replace actual, you know, leadership and accountability? Navy N Man. Management by Objective, Total Quality Management...all pointless and expensive exercises in the peacetime Navy. I said so. Often. To senior officers. I failed selection to Captain.

When WWII came along, we got people like Admiral Spruance. To quote someone..."If Halsey was a 'Sailors' Admiral', Spruance was an 'Admiral's Admiral.'" Hard nosed, straight forward and clear about exactly what he wanted done. Or Admiral King of whom his own daughter said, "the most even tempered man in the Navy. Always in a rage." No excuses. No waffling. No whinging.

When you need real leaders you DON'T need muddle headed New Age-yness. You need leaders who require leadership from their subordinates.

End of rant.

 

It is still there but they have just begun this process over the last year. So we shall see how it goes long term.

 

In my consulting practice, which is currently 100% about leadership development, I make two distinctions. First, interpersonal leadership. This applies to everyone. It's how we get along, how we communicate, motivate, etc.

The second is strategic leadership. This is about guiding the enterprise (business, organization, whatever) into the future, often in muddied, uncharted, and changing waters. Think "VUCA."

Most people in management positions are just that: managers. If something's broke, fix it. If it's late, speed it up. If costs are too high, cut them. Etcetera. Management is about keeping things on track and delivering on time, under budge, and with sufficient quality. Interpersonal leadership applies.

This is not to say one is better than the other. Both are vital. But they are not at all the same. In my 40+ years developing leaders, I've come to believe there are two significant points in one's development. The first is becoming a supervisor. Suddenly, you are no longer responsible for just your own conduct and performance; you have other people's conduct and performance to manage. With that comes all the messiness that can be people's lives. "It sounds like a personal problem" just doesn't cut it. (It never did.)

The second is making the leap from management to strategic leadership. Books by Scott Eblin and Marshall Goldsmith describe this transition along the lines of what I've shared here. It is not merely an extension or expansion of previous managerial experiences; it's a whole different ballgame.

I wrote and self-published a book about this, focused on not just the "what," but also the "how." From my work, my executive leadership program at Harvard, to my MBA, to all the work and research I've done in leadership, I still don't know what "regenerative leadership" means. I can define each of those words, of course, but not the term. Just one of the myriad things I've not yet learned.

 

And it says: "Ask again later." Darn it!