The first principle in Advanced Change Theory (ACT), Create an Emergent System, tells us to take our eyes off ourselves and focus instead on understanding our role as purposeful actors in a larger system. Because of the tremendous complexity in both the internal and external environments of our organizations, the principle of emergence tells us we have less control than we think over where our organizations will be at any point in time. Need an example? Just ask any leader in an organization that is still operating if three years ago they predicted how things would be today.
The thing we have the most control over is our own choices and behavior; hence, ACT encourages us to change others by changing ourselves. Our look inward begins with the second principle of ACT, Recognize Hypocrisy and Patterns of Self-Deception. The third principle, Personal Change Through Value Clarification and Alignment of Behavior, is a natural extension of the second.
ACT maintains that the process of engaging and reducing personal integrity gaps leads to value clarification and the personal confidence necessary to relinquish control, accept short-term defeats, identify and explore negative feelings, and trust the uncontrollable emergent process. This is the essence of the vision-driven and growing individual. (p. 152).
It takes real courage and discipline to confront our integrity gaps and deal with the discomfort of changing our behavior. I’ve never known anyone to confront a problem they did not first admit existed. Not only do we need to clarify our values, but once we do so we should make them public and invite others to help us hold ourselves accountable to those values. As leaders, we readily accept that it’s our job to hold our followers accountable for aligning their behavior with stated organizational values. But how many of us have radically shifted our power paradigm and made it an explicit expectation of our followers to also hold us accountable for the alignment of our behavior?
If you are truly a purposeful leader, you have to make that shift. When it’s not about YOU, then honest, even painful feedback is good news. But if you are an egocentric leader, you won’t choose this path because despite your lofty rhetoric, we can tell by your actions that the preservation and extension of your power and position is your top priority.
What do you stand for? How do your people know? How do you know that they know? Do you behave as if you truly believe you are behaving utterly consistent with your values, or are you willing to model the way in addressing your need for continual improvement?
To be open to this painful but exciting process of learning by doing means that you will continue to adapt and thrive. To be closed to this process means that you will be the last one to acknowledge your own decay and to notice how close you are to the precipice.
Stay tuned!
Related Posts:
My Favorite Way To Think About Leadership: Part 2
Courage To Participate In Transformation Of The Leader
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Ok, I’m slowly working my way through these and each point is so rich that it takes several days to absorb and reflect on!
My key learning from this lesson is about articulating my values and inviting others to hold me accountable for behaving in alignment with them. I recently had the opportunity to make myself vulnerable in this way and although it was scary, it ultimately provided a new way to think about the specific value and what it actually means to me, behaviorally.
As an org development professional, I hope to be able to guide others toward this foundational step as well. It could be a real turning point in one’s development.
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
December 21st, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Very well said, Kristy! You can’t experience transformational change by playing it safe. You have to step out and take a risk. Making yourself vulnerable to others is a powerful act you can take as a leader. This is the heart of true relationship. Good for you! Thanks once again for sharing. Bret
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