WHAT IS A PROGRESSIVE LEADER?

It is important to acknowledge that we each see the world through our own personal lens, and this, in turn, reflects the way each of us processes information and drives our behaviour. In organisations, there are leaders who are comfortable with the assumption that all problems can be resolved by looking to the past. In other words, they assume known solutions will work in the future. They are skilled operational managers focusing on solving immediate problems and generating a much simpler representation of the complexity in which we are all embedded. They are conservative in their thinking, averse to change or innovation, and are comfortable with the status quo.

Progressive leaders are interested in change and progress. They like to think up new ways of doing things, can make sense of numerous variables interacting simultaneously, and are much more comfortable with tasks of higher complexity. They are open to new ideas and have an openness to change. They can model the world in their heads, imagining what’s possible, seeing things that other people cannot see, and asking themselves the question ‘Why not?’ These highly capable people are frustrated by the way organisations function. They question what they do and why they do it, they understand the need, and are not afraid to learn new and better ways to lead. They know that taking a ‘business as usual’ approach has its limitations. As Albert Einstein said, ‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them’.