Photo by Joy Wilkins, Grand Canyon, February 5, 2024
For all its passion and promise, for all its excitement and rewards, leading is risky, dangerous work. Because real leadership — the kind that surfaces conflict, challenges long-held beliefs, and demands new ways of doing things — causes pain.
— Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky
Leadership is nothing short of a daunting undertaking. It means bearing responsibility for those who have entrusted us to serve them. It means making tough decisions with less than perfect information, and often during times of discomfort or in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. It also means putting ourselves out there to be dependent on, and subject to, the world around us.
In their 2002 book Leadership on the Line, Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky provide how-to guidance. Leadership is an improvisational art, the authors write. You may have a vision, clear, orienting values, and even a strategic plan, but what you actually do from moment to moment cannot be scripted.
Get on the Balcony
As change agents, we may often find ourselves in situations that call for us to see the bigger picture in order to respond effectively. Using the analogy of a dance, Heifetz and Linsky explain times that call for achieving a balcony perspective — stepping back briefly to become a detached yet careful observer before returning to the dance floor. Doing so enables one to find out where people are, what is challenging them most, and what is really important to them.
Think Politically
The authors note that one of the distinguishing qualities of successful leaders is the priority they give to relationship management — developing, sustaining, and strengthening personal connections with others. Heifetz and Linsky note three groups of equal importance: those in support, those in opposition, and those who are undecided and wary.
To survive and succeed in exercising leadership, you must work as closely with your opponents as you do with your supporters, say Heifetz and Linsky. Regarding the undecided and wary, it is critical to take the time to understand them and their needs, values, and previous experiences first before asking them to change.
Orchestrate the Conflict
The hope of leadership lies in the capacity to deliver disturbing news and raise difficult questions in a way people can absorb, prodding them to take up the message rather than ignore it or kill the messenger, say Heifetz and Linsky. Rather than avoid conflict, the authors suggest taking the heat while also working to control the temperature.
In Conclusion
Change is inevitable, but how we deal with this change is the difference-maker. There is no one-size-fits-all, and an effective leadership response is custom-designed to each situation. All leaders inevitably face similar challenges — doubts and fears, changing circumstances, mistakes — yet we are called to learn from these experiences and adapt and evolve throughout our leadership journey.
The authors highlight the importance of being mindful in taking the time and effort to anchor ourselves and manage our own vulnerabilities. They suggest: distinguish the leadership role we play from our identity and self-worth; keep trusted confidantes; and find a sanctuary, a place for reflection and renewal.
About This Article
Economic development leaders are true change agents for the world around them. This article is part of IEDC's ongoing series on Leadership in Economic Development.
This article first appeared in Economic Development Now, a publication by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), in February 2014 and appears here with permission. Special thanks to IEDC's former managing editor Louise Anderson for her partnership in producing this article.