You're It Read online

  The “You’re It” Moment

  April 20, 2010, Washington, DC. In just one month, Admiral Thad Allen, commandant of the United States Coast Guard, was due to retire, ending a storied four-decade career with the service. Allen had risen through the ranks and weathered numerous crises along the way. Years earlier, President George W. Bush had asked him to assume command of one of the worst disaster management debacles of modern times: the troubled Hurricane Katrina response in 2005. Time magazine later called him “the hero of the Gulf” for his leadership.

  Late that evening, in the Gulf of Mexico, an explosion ripped through the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig leased by BP. Eleven men lost their lives immediately. The explosion dislodged the pipe below the platform, which spewed oil and gas uncontrollably into the waters of the Gulf. Coast Guard crews responded to the fire on the drilling platform, and a regional response began. Leaders in the field soon sensed that this event might be bigger than just another rig accident. In the days ahead, those fears proved to be prophetic.

  Fast-forward to April 30. Allen’s home phone rang late that night. It was Department of Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano, calling on behalf of President Barack Obama, to ask for his leadership. With the oil leak undiminished and the ecosystem imperiled, a political crisis was brewing. The next day, May 1, Allen was named national incident commander for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response. His job: coordinate the many federal, state, and local government agencies involved and ensure that the legally designated “responsible party”—those who did the drilling—took the necessary steps to clean up the mess. Allen became the public face of the massive effort.

  “‘You’re it’ describes exactly how I felt,” Allen told us later. “It was a crisis that demanded meta-leadership.” Allen is an enthusiast for the meta-leadership framework, as it captures much of his own leadership practice throughout his career. The admiral first met Lenny Marcus as he was taking over the Katrina response. Admiral Allen became a frequent speaker at the Harvard National Preparedness Leadership Initiative executive crisis leadership program.

  Allen explained that the oil spill itself was the most straightforward part of the operation. They had identified BP, which had suffered its own losses, as the “responsible party.” Paradoxically, BP was both at fault and in sole possession of the technical knowledge and equipment needed to correct the situation. Meanwhile, Washington elected officials and every governor along the coast, as well as many local officials, wanted to show themselves to be protecting their constituents. They were pressing for fast resolution of the crisis. Besides the political pressure, the media was primed to stoke emotions and to headline any missteps.

  “In the midst of all that,” Allen recalled, “we had to figure out how to link everyone to get things done, [plug] a well five thousand feet underwater—far away from any human contact—and [calm] political sensitivities. I was aware throughout that there was no guarantee that we would accomplish the hoped-for ending.”

  The most troubling realization hit just as they were about to cap and seal the blown well head spouting oil at the bottom of the Gulf. Scientists estimated a 20 percent chance that the compressed pressure of the surge might crack open the surrounding ocean floor, unleashing a colossal and uncontrollable mass of oil into the sea. Catastrophe was on the horizon. Admiral Allen understood well that possibility and the limited actions he or anyone else could take to prevent the worst from happening. Admiral Allen was “it.” And so he led.

  Influence Beyond Authority

  Meta-leadership is a strategy and practice method designed to expand the impact of your leadership. It is both conceptually rigorous and intensely practical. It guides being, thinking, and doing.

  Meta-leaders build an intentionally wide and deep understanding of themselves and the situations they face. They are self-aware and curious. They develop a 360-degree, multidimensional perspective on the people around them and on their relationships with those people. Seeing connections and interdependencies everywhere, meta-leaders foster this same consciousness in those who follow them. With this understanding of the surrounding complexities, they have a long reach as they lead followers to overcome challenges and seize opportunities.

  Meta-leaders wield influence well beyond their formal authority. They not only understand the problem or opportunity itself: they grasp the different meaning it has for each of the many people involved. They weave together significant themes, clarifying overall purpose and values to keep an array of people aligned in synchronous motion. Those who follow meta-leaders discover that they are part of a mission and purpose larger than any one person or organization alone. It is inspiring to follow such a leader.

  To lead means that people follow you. For your followers, “you’re it.” They are part of “it” because they are with you. They are looking for a leader, and you can be that leader with or without a formal title or authority. People will follow you if they believe in you and in what you hope to accomplish—and if they have confidence that you believe in them. They trust that, together, you will achieve the shared goal. Through both process and outcome, you can help them bring meaning into their lives.

  To lead is more than just managing or commanding. Leadership is defined through behavior and attitude, not role or rank. Successful organizations large and small have leaders dispersed throughout the ranks and intentionally invest to develop those leaders throughout their careers. Former Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent described it this way: “I learned that everyone has the innate capacity to lead. Leadership isn’t just a trait found at the very top of an organization. I have seen truly extraordinary leadership at all levels of our organization and from all types of people.” Coca-Cola is hardly unique in this regard. No matter where in your system you sit now, you can lead.

  Is this daunting? Sure. The meta-leadership perspective helps you comprehend the whole of a leadership puzzle as well as its parts. These skills and the mind-set can be learned.

  Ultimately, you’ll be able to apply the principles of meta-leadership to your own circumstances and persona in a way that works best for you. It’s not a single set of prescribed steps. Think of it more as a way to better perceive yourself and what is happening around you; to more fully assess the meaning and implications of your leading; to more accurately identify patterns of activity and better predict what could happen next; and then to reach decisions and take action. You embed these proficiencies into your everyday leadership repertoire so that when you’re hit by crisis, change, or any moment that matters, you are ready, like Admiral Allen, to pivot into action. What works for you on a routine day is ready when the routine shifts to the unpredictable.

  The Three Dimensions of Meta-Leadership

  There are three dimensions to the discipline of meta-leadership—you the leader, the situation, and connectivity. You lead many stakeholders: those who report to you, others to whom you report, and all the other necessary individuals, partners, and entities over whom you may have little or no formal authority. Meta-leadership derives its strength from seamlessly weaving together these dimensions. And when “you’re it,” these three dimensions together are a rich resource for charting both your challenges and your opportunities.

  The first dimension of meta-leadership is you the person—you as the leader. How well do you know yourself? How do you make sense of all that surrounds you? How do you define yourself as a leader? What do you do as a leader, and what don’t you do?

  Your emotions come into play. Do you display emotional intelligence? What do you do about the emotions of others whom you lead? Can you exercise self-discipline in the ongoing task of seeking balance? When “you’re it,” events move rapidly and everyone is counting on you. There is much to grasp and many in need of guidance. And not everyone and everything is on your side. There are those who hope you will fail. Being “it” is rarely easy, and yet it can be very rewarding.

  The second dimension of meta-leadership is the situation—the objective realit
y of what is happening “out there.” The situation is the context and environment in which you must lead and in which you and others must face uncertain circumstances, demands, and dilemmas. When “you’re it,” you are handed a situation that, more often than not, is a bad one. You are expected to grasp and understand it in all its complexity. And then you’re expected to change that situation, by improving it, overcoming it, defeating it, or making the most of it. Situations are often dynamic. There is much to accomplish, and time is usually of the essence.

  The third dimension of meta-leadership is connectivity, which has four facets. Each facet has distinctive power and authority dynamics.

  The Four Facets of Connectivity

  The first facet of connectivity is leading down—that is, directing and supervising others. The bulk of the literature on leadership is about how to better motivate and manage the performance of those under your authority. Many leaders expect obedience and can’t figure out how to get it. Meta-leaders appreciate that to gain the commitment and loyalty of subordinates, they must first be committed and loyal to them. When “you’re it” for people who call you “boss,” the first question should be, “How can I make each of you a success?” If the people you supervise succeed, then you are much more likely to succeed in what you’re all trying to accomplish together.

  The second facet reverses this equation: leading up refers to your own boss or the constituency to which you are responsible. If, like most people, you work in a hierarchical organization, it is clear who is boss. If you are an elected official, your bosses are hard-to-please voters. If you are a CEO, your bosses are the directors on your board, your company’s investors, and your customers.

  The person or people you report to will have expectations for your performance. They have ways in which they would like to be treated and kept informed. They know what decisions they want to make and what decisions they prefer that you make on your own. Your job is not only to figure this all out—that alone would be relatively simple. You must also intentionally influence and actively participate in the framing of the relationship. Influence well beyond your authority depends in part on your ability to persuade your boss, or bosses, to support you and champion what you hope to accomplish, leveraging their influence, decisions, and actions.

  The third facet of meta-leadership connectivity is leading across to the departments, business units, and other parts within your institutional base. These are filled with people who operate within the same hierarchical and governance structure as you. Here, your intraorganizational efforts extend across different internal boundaries and functions. Each of these offices, departments, and functions, and each person within them, operates within a formally linked structure. In many organizations, there is some shared measure of control and authority as all involved presumably work toward common purposes. Despite that system, you may face specialized groups—such as innovation units, field operations, or legal functions—that prize autonomy over broad collaboration. Silo-based reward and recognition incentives foster rivalries that impede teamwork. Peers compete to rise within the hierarchy. And there are grabs for finite internal resources. You discover how to work—and sometimes fight—inside your castle walls to advance your objectives while respecting larger organizational goals.

  Your first commitment is to the unit you lead or manage—your “home team”—just as you also contribute to companywide activities. Your one piece of the bigger organizational picture contributes to the “meta-success” of your enterprise. In business, this means that marketing, production, and distribution must work together if a company expects to deliver success.

  The fourth and final facet is leading beyond the four walls of your organization to reach the people, institutions, and communities that are part of or important to your overall endeavors. This is enterprise meta-leadership. The interorganizational meta-leadership challenge is to find or create a compelling common purpose among people not connected by the same formal reporting chain or governance structure.

  The power and authority dynamics differ greatly between leading across and leading beyond. In leading across, the stakeholders are united by shared interests, including reputation, share price or other metrics, and allegiance to the same chief executive. That formal linkage is not present with those you lead beyond.

  Leading beyond requires that you understand, respect, and acknowledge the legitimate interests of a variety of stakeholders. It’s important to build common purpose, leveraging your influence in the absence of authority over others. For example, Paul Bulcke, then CEO of Nestlé and now chairman of the board, called in 2015 for a broad, multi-stakeholder strategy for global nutrition and food security. In an opinion piece published by the World Economic Forum, he argued that collaboration is the only potential solution to a system-scale challenge that includes wide-ranging issues such as nutrition, health care, housing, and climate change. The stakeholders are governments, nonprofits, communities, and businesses, from massive global companies like Nestlé to small farmers. He committed Nestlé to playing a leadership role in that larger enterprise endeavor by providing “a robust framework for farmer livelihood and community development” as well as investment in rural education.

  No one controls all the many facets, relationships, and people that make up a complex system. No one can directly command all those who can be brought together to achieve something extraordinary or tackle an overwhelming problem—not even presidents or chief executives. That challenge requires order beyond control.

  To coordinate the efforts of all these people is a profound challenge. Forging the collective “you” requires building connectivity of effort across many different sectors, leveraging influence well beyond whatever formal authority is invested in a single person or position.

  Meta-leaders craft the unifying mission for an array of different constituencies. They build a compelling narrative and create conditions that animate shared values, motivating goals, and each participant’s view of himself or herself as a necessary and meaningful contributor. Meta-leaders know that optimal progress does not happen on its own. Someone must see the opportunity and engage others to see it as well.

  Connectivity in Practice

  Meta-leaders align organizational strategies, operations, and frontline work. If done right, connectivity becomes deeply embedded in organizational culture. Both philosophically and pragmatically, when you are simultaneously leading down, up, across, and beyond, you forge enterprise thinking, acting, and assessment, within your organization and beyond.

  Southwest Airlines offers an example of this sort of alignment. Its vision for success is built on top-notch customer satisfaction. Their stock symbol is LUV, reflecting their love for their customers as well as their original home at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Southwest’s standards are exemplified in its slogan: “Warrior’s Spirit. Servant’s Heart. Fun-Loving Attitude.”

  Southwest executives know that travelers’ experiences with people such as gate agents and flight attendants are critical to the company’s success. Travelers don’t interact with the CEO—it’s the frontline employees who transmit the values of the company. This is why Southwest has committed to treating employees the same way it expects them to treat their customers.

  At Southwest, people are an asset, not a cost. Flight attendants are empowered to lead within their domain as much as executives lead from headquarters. Happy, engaged employees treat customers well and solve problems autonomously. Ticket pricing is straightforward and fees for extras are minimal, reducing stress on both customers and employees. There is clarity of purpose, values, and performance expectations. Leadership flows from vision through operations and logistics. At Southwest, “you’re it” is about everybody. Results flow as well: Southwest has long been the most profitable of the US air carriers.

  How does meta-leadership fit into your other leadership learning and experiences? As you’ll see in the pages ahead, we have integrated our work with both classic and contemporary thinking
about leadership. We are grateful for and acknowledge the contributions of countless researchers, educators, and executives. However, much of the existing literature and research—as much as 85 percent by one estimate in the Harvard Business Review—focuses on leading in hierarchies. An understanding of hierarchical leadership alone is too narrow to inform many of the practical situations that leaders face today.

  The most common and daunting leadership opportunities and challenges now arise amid the complex systems and networks of diverse organizations. Each organization accomplishes one piece of the product service or deliverable. Supply chains are global. It takes dozens of companies to piece together your smartphone. Organizations rely on freelancers, contractors, and outsourced vendors. Strategic alliances are common. Communication, commerce, and operations are increasingly conducted digitally. The many different organizations, people, and problems encompassed by these systems are not, by their very nature, calibrated to work together smoothly. This is why the concepts of connectivity and leverage are central to meta-leadership. Although people and situations cannot always be controlled, they can be aligned into a productive order.

  This central idea of a widely cast net of connections is why we chose “people follow you” as the definition of meta-leadership. To illustrate, we return to the Gulf of Mexico and the Deepwater Horizon spill.

  Admiral Allen had little choice. To successfully prevail over the disgorging oil with all its ecological, political, economic, and social implications, he would have to create a collective “you” out of the many people and organizations reluctant to see themselves on the same side of this problem.

  When he stepped into his leadership role, there was much to overcome. The public was angry. One typical sign seen in Grand Isle, Louisiana, derided BP: CANNOT FISH OR SWIM: HOW THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FEED OUR KIDS NOW?