Will the modern-day leader ever adopt a more collaborative leadership style

THE SOLO ACT?

Will the modern-day leader ever adopt a more collaborative leadership style,

    Leadership has for long been regarded as a norm wherein one person takes charge of the entire function in the organisation and the rest follow the league. However, as the world evolves and businesses expand across the globe, the essence of leadership is developing too, rapidly. Leadership is no longer about ‘one-man show’, but a more collective effort where each person takes the onus of his/her job. What is the reason for this shift? Smita Affinwalla, head of consulting, DDI India affirms, “Yes, there is a shift happening in terms of responsibility being given to more individuals at an earlier stage of their careers. However, conversely, in terms of accountability, the parameters seem to be moving in the opposite direction with the span of accountability for senior leaders only increasing rapidly. Since very often accountability happens without direct control, the level of personal influence required by senior leaders today is rapidly increasing.”
    N. Chandramouli, CEO, Comniscient Group feels that leadership is going through a paradigm shift, “By saying this, I mean that now there are no specific roles for a leader and they have to pave their path as they traverse it. The shift is largely due to the fact that the times we do business in are changing. And in such times, the role of an organisational leader has become precarious. To seek opportunities and avert threats in such an environment is no easy task. Therefore, adaptability has become one of the biggest needs of the current leader.”
    Given the present economic scenario, should leaders operate individually or work as a collective team where each person gets to take charge of his/her job? “Every organisation today is built on a collective team effort, since no one individual can know or do everything. Also, organisational structures are getting more complex and matrix-oriented as opposed to simple, linear structures of the past. This, in itself, necessitates collective team work,” shares Ashish Bhasin, chairman India and CEO South East Asia, Aegis Media.
    The present economic scenario is peppered with stress and turmoil. It is very challenging to work alone in a situation that demands so much of you. “Expertise is now a necessity, and that narrows down the pool of common knowledge even further. It is therefore highly necessary that leadership over nuances be shared, as not everyone can make sense of every bit of information,” reveals Rajan Kaicker, executive chairman and managing director of FranklinCovey India.
    “The top rung leaders are definitely ready to give up - the question remains, whether the second rung is ready to think beyond the obvious, equip themselves enough, and build a framework of success,” says Rinku Basu, head, Geometric Learning Institute & organisation development, Geometric.
    Thus, effective leadership is no longer the job of a single leader; it is more a collaboration of teams to form the 'leadership pillar'.