The word entrepreneur has a complex history. One theory is the word originated from the combination of two Latin words: entre meaning to swim out, and prendes meaning to grasp, understand, or capture.
When I was in graduate school many years ago, we talked a great deal about leadership. There were two teams of leaders, according to the doctrine at the time, those leading the team of today, and those leading the team of tomorrow. The leader at the helm of the team of today was skilled in running the business day-to-day and executing against current business drivers and customer demands. The leader steering the the team of tomorrow was adept in building the future, finding something that is not already in existence, and transforming it into something valuable. The leaders of the team of tomorrow were characterized by their willingness and desire to swim out and grasp, or capture the next big thing… Their leadership was more entrepreneurial in nature.
Historically these were two different people. Not anymore.
As Royal Philips’ former CEO, Frans van Houten, explained, “We talk about the need to both perform and transform. If you only transform but don’t perform, you have no here and now. If you only perform but don’t transform, you have no future.”
We used to accept that leaders could be either great visionaries or great operators. Today, companies require their top talent to fulfill dual roles – acting as strategic executors while also embodying the role of tech-savvy humanist, high-integrity politician, humble hero, globally minded localist, and traditioned innovator.
What important shifts do leaders of teams and organizations make to lead both the team of today and the team of tomorrow?
Implement a Capabilities-based Leadership Model
In my experience, this is a core shift that is imperative to cultivate sustainable agility in today’s organizations. It is also something I see successful leaders implement and improve upon quickly and often. What I have noticed leaders do, who are both transforming and performing, is create roles that focus their team or organization on the capabilities that are critical for delivering on their emerging value proposition. Perhaps you need a Chief Design Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, or Chief Data Officer. What is essential is not just the implementation of expanded and unique C-suite roles, but the effective integration of these roles into key strategic drivers. This grounds the expanded C-suite purposefully in the desired outcomes of today and tomorrow. Creation is one thing, integration is where a leader has the power to differentiate in building their team. No one leader can have it all covered comprehensively anymore but collectively the capability can be robust with thorough team construction.
Become a Strategic Executor
Driving Transformation begins with big decisions but senior leaders must also ensure those changes are implemented. The leader of the team of today and tomorrow knows and understands their role in participating in strategic follow-through at every level. Setting a bold agenda takes courage but it is not where the transformation happens. Being able to connect disparate parts of the organization to the whole is a unique and golden capability for modern successful leaders.
Embrace the Paradox
I have wondered many times over the years about whether or not it is realistic to expect one leader to lead both the team of today and the team of tomorrow. Whether or not it is viable, it is happening and in order for leaders to remain and sustain the demands of leading in today’s complex environment, agility is everything. It is nearly impossible to be agile and flexible when trying to be entrepreneurial if it is not your strength as a leader. Conversely trying to execute the day-to-day operations if you are used to swimming out and finding new horizons is equally ineffective. The most powerful option then, I believe, is acceptance. Both leader capabilities are essential. Because being someone you are not is exhausting, finding people that round out your capability as a leader is vitally important for you and for those you lead.
Reflect on Which Team Best Suits Your Leadership:
- Which team am I most comfortable leading, the team of today or the team of tomorrow?
- Why do I feel I am more suited to lead one team or the other?
- Knowing this, what decisions can I make to build depth on my team and round out our collective leadership capability in a way that sends energy back to me and to others versus draining capability and resources?
Set the expectation that when your team gathers, it is not just to make decisions but to create value together. Surround yourself with talented people who can balance seemingly paradoxical leadership behaviors and challenge one another to collectively accomplish big things!
Not everyone is an entrepreneur. Can you imagine if everyone was swimming out in search of a new horizon? Can you imagine if everyone was working on today and no one was looking to the horizon?
It is a balance and knowing where you impact, and hopefully create that equilibrium, is important for you, for those you lead, and even for those who will lead after you.
“Please think about your legacy because you are writing it every day.” -Gary Vaynerchuk
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