"Don't worry about what others will do. The best way to predict the future is to invent it." (Alan Key)
Having analyzed the tools a leader can use (Go to the previous post The Bridge Between Your Today and Success-Part 2), "how" to use them also deserves attention and some consideration.
In fact, several approaches can be identified that might fit the situation. Some, however, hide pitfalls that could undermine future endeavors. The leader must therefore take exceptional care in choosing the one best suited to the situation, while also trying to evaluate side effects that could reverberate in space and time.
Approaches
Approaches can be:
Observation: observation in a leadership context means gaining a prominent level of awareness. It is appropriate when changes in the organization or market are unclear or when the risks of acting outweigh the benefits. It is, therefore, an approach centered primarily on gathering information and waiting for the appropriate time to act.
Reconciliation: this approach makes room for other perspectives, interests, or market forces. This may be the adaptation of a business model, changing the scope of a project, or even adapting different working styles within a team. It is usually used when the stakes do not justify an aggressive or confrontational strategy.
Shaping: shaping in leadership is a proactive but non-aggressive attitude aimed at shaping the organizational environment, culture, or boundary conditions in favor over the long term. This includes, for example, the formation of partnerships.
Persuasion: here, the leader seeks to align the interests of the team or stakeholders through persuasive and inspiring arguments. It is most effective when there is a significant overlap of interests between the parties involved.
Enabling: this involves empowering team members or stakeholders to achieve shared goals. This may involve the provision of resources, training, or other forms of support. It aligns closely with the security perspective of enhancing an ally's capabilities.
Induction: induction involves offering positive incentives, such as promotions, bonuses, or other benefits to change behavior within the organization. Typically, this leads to a transactional relationship and may not require aligned interests.
Coercion: this is a strong form and should be used sparingly. It may involve the use or threatened use of punitive measures such as demotion, dismissal, or other forms of disciplinary measures. The goal is to discourage or coerce a specific action or change.
Imposition: in extreme cases, a leader may have to take drastic action by directly imposing and thereby taking away any option of choice from a team or individual, thus forcing a desired action. This could also include legal action.
Removal: in a business context, this is equivalent to eliminating something considered negative or harmful: this could be a project, an individual, a team, or even a part of the organization. In the case of action aimed at one or more individuals, removal does not mean, necessarily, dismissal but also includes less drastic actions such as demotion or change of assignment.
Implementation modes
Once we have determined which approach we want to use, we also need to think about the implementation mode. The options here are various, and I will just list a few of them, just to give you an idea. The modes can be:
Direct and indirect
Horizontal or vertical
Internal or external
Centralized or decentralized
Collaborative or competitive
Unilateral or multilateral
Sequential or parallel
Proactive or reactive
Overt or covert
Formal or informal
The combination of means and ways and the direction
Matching the means to be used (see the post Strategic leadership: The bridge between your Today and success-Part 2) and the methods may seem trivial and intuitive, but it is not. Take the example of a startup that is trying to acquire new customers in a very competitive market. The CEO might choose the "Persuasion" approach, with a "Direct" and "Proactive" mode, through an aggressive marketing campaign.
However, if long-term implications, such as financial sustainability, are not considered, the approach could prove risky and unprofitable.
Similarly, a leader who opts for "Coercion" with an "Internal" and "Centralized" mode could achieve rapid change within the organization, but at the cost of employee demotivation and discontent, which could have negative side effects in the long term.
In short, the choice of "how" is not isolated from the "what," "who," "where," and "when." All of these factors must be carefully considered and balanced to maximize the effectiveness of the chosen approach, analyzing well how the elements are deeply interconnected. It is at this stage that the leader must know how to be forward-looking, seeking to go beyond first-order effects and assess secondary effects in the medium and long term as well.
Factors such as sequencing actions, coordinating and balancing resources, and integrating all the tools that may be necessary to achieve a goal must be part of the leader's strategic assessment.
Navigating the complex sea of strategic leadership is a task that requires acumen, balance, and, above all, the ability to look beyond the horizon. As we have seen, approaches and implementation methods vary widely, and their effectiveness depends on a myriad of contextual factors.
The real task of the leader is to know when and how to apply each of these methods, always keeping in mind that leadership is a multidimensional puzzle.
Strategic leadership is an art rather than a science. There is no "one size fits all," but rather a set of tools and tactics that must be adapted and refined according to the specific context. And just like an artist, a leader must have both technique and vision; he or she must be able to execute as well as inspire.
The choice of approaches and modes is never isolated from the long-term implications. An effective leader not only knows "how" to act but also understands "why" and "what might happen next." This deeper understanding is what separates an ordinary leader from a true "master of the sea."
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