The challenges of the modern world can hardly be mastered with conventional leadership principles. Demographic change, the ongoing digitalization and the new working environments associated with it are reason enough to rethink leadership. And this in a world where the speed of change is increasing, certainties and clarities are fading and making everything even more uncertain.
I like the analogy of the sea and the ship's captain as a metaphor of leaders and leadership.
Imagine the following example: You are the captain of a ship on the vast ocean. The waters are calm and tranquil (how to deal with boredom in a team is another story and worth another blog post). Everything is going well. There is a good tailwind, no dangerous currents in sight, and the crew is content. You are standing on the bridge in your bright guard uniform, and everyone is happy.
But more often than not, the sea is unpredictable; the weather can change in the blink of an eye. Markets and customer needs change. And with that, companies must constantly face new challenges and adapt. And your crew has needs, expectations, and requirements. Not to mention their unique strengths and weaknesses.
Determine the direction: the old map
So there is this captain who navigates with his tattered old map. This captain sees the crew members only as tools to steer the ship. Every one of them is expected to follow instructions without question. “Do as I say,” he bellows, believing only he has the necessary knowledge to steer the ship.
Decisions? They come from the captain's cabin behind closed doors. The vision and strategy for the journey were set years ago, regardless of the changing sea conditions. The crew's job is to steer the ship as it always has been, without deviation.
The captain stands on the aft deck with a telescope in his hand, monitoring the crew's every move, alerting them to any missteps. Critical feedback is given as a means of exerting pressure rather than providing support. As if it were necessary to reinforce the hierarchy: the captain at the top, the crew at the bottom.
This captain sails only for treasure, and personal reward trumps the actual goal of the voyage. When mistakes are made, blame comes crashing down like a storm; the plan must be followed to the letter, come hell or high water, no matter how the wind blows.
Will such captains successfully lead their crews through rough seas and uncharted territory? Will they be able to inspire their crew members to follow the challenging journey and navigate through the fog of uncertainty? I'm getting a bit melodramatic now. But let's not fool ourselves: this is what the world looks like today: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
Volatility means that sudden changes out of the blue throw your plans into disarray. One moment, everything seems under control, but the next you have to deal with sudden changes.
And then there's uncertainty. This is like when you're waiting for the “big announcement” at work. The rumor mill is buzzing, but no one knows what will happen. It's all about “maybe” and “what if.”
Complexity? This is when you have a million things to juggle. Your inbox is bursting at the seams, your to-do list is miles long, and everything seems to be happening at the same time. It's as if every decision is a puzzle within a puzzle.
And ambiguity: have you ever found yourself in a situation where the information you have is incomplete, and it's difficult to understand what's going on at all?
In a world like this, it's about always being on your guard and adapting to change. It's about accepting chaos, realizing you don't have all the answers, and finding creative ways to move forward. Instead of getting bogged down, you learn to live with it. You get into the groove of learning, developing, and renewing yourself. This is how you turn VUCA from a challenge into your playground. In such a world, the old maps no longer work, and you have to be prepared to adapt on the fly.
Setting sails with agile leadership.
By contrast, we are getting to know a very different captain. A captain or a skipper. Their compass is aligned with an agile mindset. These captains see the crew not as a mere resource but as fellow sailors, each of whom can contribute their knowledge.
“Let's set the course together,” they encourage, fostering self-organization. The crew comes together, shares insights, and makes decisions together because the sea is changing and two (or twenty) heads are better than one.
The vision for the journey? It is worked out with every voice on board and evolves as new shores are sighted. The ship under these captains thrives on change and growth; every sailor knows that he or she is part of something significant.
This leadership replaces supervision because the captain walks among the crew and offers advice like a steady breeze. They create a space where everyone can grow, in which every role is important, and the hierarchy is as fluid as the waves.
Being an agile leader means being open to learning from the sea and your team. And having the necessary confidence and trust to know when to steer the ship and when to leave the helm to others so that decisions can be made on where they need to be implemented. It's about being aware of your surroundings and having a solution-oriented and growth-oriented mindset.
Agile leadership is not about giving orders, but being as agile and adaptable as the sea demands. It's about creating a “ship” where every sailor feels safe to speak their mind. And where the hierarchy resembles a network rather than a “ladder” – everyone is connected to everyone, and everyone has a role to play. This also requires new skills: an open mind to learn new things, the ability to self-reflect and self-organize, and solution-oriented thinking, to name just a few.
The Agile Leader's Compass
And let's be honest, sometimes that's exhausting. There are negotiations and discussions to be held. Compromises have to be found, and sometimes you have to be able to go in a different direction. But remember that you're not just steering a ship; you're developing and nurturing a culture. A culture that puts purpose before profit (by the way, profit comes naturally when you have such an inspired team).
A culture that encourages you to break new ground, even if that means sometimes sailing into the unknown. It's about serving your crew instead of just commanding them.
So, as you set sails on your journey as a leader, my dear captains, keep your compass aligned with Agile Leadership. It may not be the easiest route, but it will lead to unknown successes and adventures. It's about creating a ship that is more than just a workplace – it's a place where every sailor is an explorer, every wave is a lesson, and every horizon is a new opportunity.
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