The Two Sides to a Leader's Coin
By Tim Elmore
Over the last few months, our nation has witnessed some crazy events, most of them crises that leaders have needed to address. An oil spill off the coast of southern California that dumped thousands of gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of immigrants attempting to cross the border between Mexico and Texas who received mixed messages between state and federal authorities. Another school shooting, this one in Arlington, Texas, which left parents and educators wondering when will these mass shootings end. An employee shortage in many industries, forcing prices to go up and service to go down. And, of course, the pandemic continues a year and a half after it began, leaving hospital workers exhausted and producing more than 700,000 deaths in our country.
It’s enough to make you tired just reading about it.
The Coin Has Two Sides
As I considered the leadership implications of each of these crises, it struck me that they all required leaders to practice two completely different roles and skillsets. Leaders must be both:
Initiators
Responders
In other words, leaders must own a vision, create a plan, and go first. That’s what initiative is all about. In fact, if someone doesn’t do this, they’re not really a leader. A leader is the one who went first. At the same time, these same leaders must respond to the people they lead and the customers they are attempting to impact. They must demonstrate that they understand people, are relevant to their needs, and can connect with them. It’s a yin and yang. It’s Bonnie and Clyde. Batman and Robin. Salt and pepper. Both must go together.
This describes the ultimate paradox of being a leader.
If you only do one of them well, you will diminish your ability to lead. Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook leaders only initiated, but they failed to respond. Findings from their own team members revealed they made decisions on behalf of the company but harmed employees and customers. It was all about progress and income. Leaders focused on the first part (initiative) but not the second (responding). Generating revenue blinded them to the other side of leadership: responding to real people.
Conversely, there are organizations that go out of business every year because they lose sight of the big picture and begin reacting to people’s complaints. They shift completely into reaction mode. When the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, thousands of well-intentioned leaders became so busy responding to individual needs (which in itself is a noble thing), they failed to take initiative and pivot to keep the organization alive. Even when the people didn’t know it, they needed leaders who took the initiative to seize opportunity on behalf of everyone.
Interestingly, leaders tend to be stronger at one or the other. Big picture or small picture. Going first or replying to people. And over time, we become more of who we already are. This is why it’s essential to be aware of both sides of the coin and intentionally work on your weaker side.
The Paradox of Being a Leader
As I noted earlier, these two sides to the leadership coin feel like a paradox. Each requires a different skillset, which usually must be learned. Over the last three years, I have researched the paradoxical skills uncommon leaders display. It’s uncanny to see how each represented either the initiator or the responder side of the coin:
They are both stubborn and open-minded. (Initiator and responder)
They are both confident and humble. (Initiator and responder)
They are both a teacher and a learner. (Initiator and responder)
They are both visible and invisible. (Initiator and responder)
They model both high standards and gracious forgiveness. (Initiator and responder)
It has been said over and over again, we are leading during disruptive times. We don’t even know yet what our new normal will look like in today’s polarized, post-pandemic context. People are anxious. They’re quitting their jobs. Their mental health is suffering. I believe what is required of leaders today is more than it’s been in the past. It is time for leaders to step up, not step back in such times. In response, I have created a resource called The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership. It is a book that outlines eight of these two-sided coins. I filled it with case studies and action plans to practice them. In fact, each chapter includes stories, statistics, and steps to take to rise to the demands of leadership today. I’m hopeful you will find it relevant and helpful to your own leadership. While it releases November 2, anyone who pre-orders the book will get a ten-video course on each chapter to discuss with your team as well as a quiz on the paradoxes to assess your own leadership. It equips you to be the leader your team needs.
This is no time for leaders to flip a coin when making decisions. It is a time, however, for leaders to recognize both sides of their leadership coin and use them.