Types of Leaders
Leading Through Conflict (Mark Gerzon) is the name of an important text for leaders. It is also an indispensable capacity for all who care about leading their community well. Leadership doesn’t happen by accident. Don’t be asleep on the job when conflict arises. Reflect on your style of leadership in a conflict and choose to be the best at leading that you can be!
Gerzon says that there are three types of leaders – and they engage with conflict in different ways. We all have the capacity to display the traits of each type of leadership. So be careful! The more we live in one “space” the more that becomes our dominant style.
Leading as a Demagogue
- intensifies conflict
- lacks compassion and dehumanizes persons on the other side
- relies on ideology and not experience
- prefers indoctrination to inquiry, misrepresentations over the truth
- shuns complexity
- tears down bridges and refuses to listen to new options
The Demagogue, and those who follow them, have contempt for the idea that reconciliation is possible. Therefore they prefer fear based exploitation of differences so that they can maintain their power.
The Demagogue wants to control the situation for their own ends.
Leading as a Manager
- defines themselves by their place in the system
- only pursues the interests of their group
- does not think holistically but in narrow compartments of specialty or role
- disregards the other
- accepts existing boundaries
The Manager is often surprised by conflict because s/he doesn’t see the whole picture but only their part. So they usually struggle to generate options because of their narrow worldview. Managers hate conflict and try to “fix” it by managing the symptoms or trying to banish conflict by smothering it or through executive order.
Leading as a Mediator
- is a steward of the whole rather than an owner of the parts (Admiral Joe Dyer, US Navy)
- takes into account the whole and accepts complexity
- welcomes diversity of contribution
- commits to bridging divides and partnering with all stakeholders to do so
- builds trust
- delights in innovation and creative surprises
- hopes and works to bring that hope to life
The Mediator type of leader accepts that conflict is inevitable in complex organisations. Respect for all points of view leads the Mediator to facilitate the capacity of diverse groups to listen to each other, think systemically, and to patiently inquire until there is a complete understanding of the issues.
Leading in the Mediator style uses the following 8 tools. They were first mentioned in the post 8 Steps to Turn Differences Into Opportunities. They will be expanded upon in the next post.
- Integral vision – acknowledging all sides of the conflict
- Systems thinking – understanding the connection between the factors that contribute to a conflict
- Presence – using all your emotional, spiritual, and mental resources to understand the nature of the dispute
- Inquiry – asking the right questions to get all the relevant information
- Conscious communication – making good choices about how you communicate during a conflict
- Dialogue – inspire people’s ability to work through the conflict
- Bridging – build partnerships that cross the borders that divide
- Innovation – foster breakthrough ideas and new options for resolving differences
Conclusion
In today’s complex world it is the Mediator style of leaders who have the most to offer. Think about conflicts in which you have been involved. Have there been times when you have shown the traits of the Demagogue, the Manager and/or the Mediator? Which approach resulted in the most innovation for finding a sustainable long-term solution?
Self-awareness is a key skill in effective leaders. As you engage in conflict situations note when you are behaving as these different types. Foster and build your capacity to function in Mediator mode. Think about a situation that your local congregation or group is facing right now. What skills of the Mediator type of leader can you employ in that situation? Plan for how to use the 8 steps that turn differences into opportunities.
We’d love to hear what works for you. Please share some of your experiences in the comments section.
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