Leadership — Again!

Change

Leadership has been linked to many parts of the Taxonomy: but this Willingness domain framework seems particularly relevant. After all, one of the groups is Lead (G53).

It is universally agreed that the central task for a leader is to determine a purpose to be pursued by a group and to follow that through in practice. But systems thinking requires that any entity is defined by a context-content relation. For leadership, if the content is the purpose or vision, then the context is the situation.

If we use systems thinking, then the leader is also required, implicitly if not explicitly, to specify the situation. Given that a purpose is developed to change the situation, the leader must be responsible for an account of the present as well as the desired future specified in the purpose. This notion is implicit in placing a requirement on a leader for a "strategic vision".

That is why leadership belongs to the Change Domain where the different ways to specify a situation generate different forms of leadership, each with distinctive properties. Check it out.

When leadership is taught, the essence (to enable change) is combined with a range of "skills" which typically include:

  • character — integrity, trustworthiness, honesty, consistency, discipline, duty;
  • competence — expertise, knowledge, skills, decision-making, problem-solving;
  • communication — clarity, information, expectations, discussion;
  • social skills — relationship-building, respect, tact, motivation, empowerment, conflict-resolution, flexibility;
  • self-awareness — biases, triggers, weaknesses, strengths, presence, bearing, confidence;
  • emotional intelligence — listening, empathy, compassion, guidance, mentoring, development;
  • creativity.

Many of these are not skills, but forms of awareness which can only develop through sustained dialogue and reflection on experiences. Such reflection will likely reveal preferred mentalities or paradigms (value-systems) that are resistant to modification.

Reflection is difficult, and so leaders are advised to note the following:

  • Decision-making methods generate 8 different styles of leadership;
  • The preferred inter-personal interaction mentality will impact handling of responsibility, rationality, authority, social cohesion, attention to others, and more: see accounts in this section; and also see leadership challenges as part of career development.
  • Social leadership is affected by the preferred approach to using language as explained here.

Willingness: Invisible but Essential

Willingness is taken for granted in leadership discourses, but that may be due to a lack of understanding.

As explained at the outset, this structural hierarchy framework can also be viewed as a framework for "making a difference" or "rendering assistance": names not chosen because the full use of willingness is not always called for. The framework also elaborates what is meant by "being fully willing" as a controlling element in being creative.

Leadership is a situation where a maximum impact is commonly desired and where creativity is desirable. It follows that the full use of willingness is appropriate. So the PsH7 structural hierarchy can be viewed as a framework of components for «providing leadership», even if many components are left implicit.

However, until a reality is explicit, it is impossible to talk about it. Each grouping will now be taken in turn with some incomplete thoughts in relation to leadership.

G1: Instil Hope

Instilling hope appears to be the foundation of leadership. The need for confidence (the qualifier) and assurance (fortitude form) is often mentioned in leadership courses.

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Try-G11: The leader has to confidently ready to try: which is usually self-evident.

Beliefs-G12:  Perhaps the most important form of confidence is self-belief. Some deep beliefs are controversial and may be hidden to avoid argument or ridicule.

Facing-G13 : Leaders must be confident in challenging currently accepted realities if need be, and should be able to resist urges for comfortable conformity and conventional wisdom.

Participation (G14):  The importance of confidently belonging is well-understood in the literature, with a focus on the team and a need for social skills. Conflicts of interest are a perennial issue, partly because participation is commonly self-interested.

Risk-G15: Taking risks confidently is intrinsic to leadership because it is impossible to know what the future will bring. Attention must be given to normal loss aversion, and the dangers of recklessness.

Learning-G16: Learning in the sense of preparation is well-understood. The need for reflection requires more attention if societal norms are not wholly supportive.

Trust-G17: Trusting is a crucial for instillation of hope. However, the focus is usually on the leader being trustworthy rather than trusting. Trusting calls for some sense of the spiritual element in leading.

G2: Express Determination

Determination is located in the upper pentad in creativity: its lowest g1-level targets change and its highest g2-level requires being fully willing: click on thumbnail to see. While it is presented there as a way of mustering perseverance, it also manifests as persevering-G21.

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Realize-G22: Even leaders have blind-spots and can at times use denial and other defences against reality. Leadership therefore calls for organising a means for honest dialogue that can safely offer confronting feedback to enable the required realization.

Engage-G23:  Engaging means recognizing the importance of sympathy with those being led and an affinity for the challenge being faced.

Commit-G24: Committing is widely recognized in the emphasis on integrity. However, less attention goes to identity development and destiny as personally determined.

Develop-G25: Leadership must be viewed as a developmental process assisted by reading, experiments, guides and mentors to purse aspirations.

Cultivate-G26: An actual or potential leader should look at personal weaknesses and flaws as requiring purification, and seek inner refinement where needed e.g. patience, tolerance of stupidity, even-handedness.

G3: Develop Endurance

The inevitability of adversity and the likelihood of failure is mostly recognized in leadership programs. However, because of the glorification of leadership, some aspects get more attention than others.

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Cope-G31: Coping tends to be viewed as mundane and taken for granted.

Follow-G31: Almost all graduates from leadership programs commence in followership positions. In organisations, leaders at most management levels are simultaneously followers as shown in the thumbnail diagram.

Confront-G31: Depending on the context, confronting may be easy or difficult. However, confronting ("knocking heads together") can become a way of leading for power-centred individuals.

Embed-G31: Embedding is not always natural for a leader but it deserves attention.

Venture-G31: Venturing is at the more daring end of leadership demands.

G4: Mobilize Relationships

Relationships are a major focus in leadership programs. Putting time and energy into creating bonds with team members or followers is viewed as essential. The focus is typically on the personal dimension: consistency, concern, respect, support, empathy and such like. However, the focus in willingness is based on maintaining balance and is more general.

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Compromise-G41: Compromising is an essential element in leadership, but not always mentioned.

Oppose-G42: Opposing is often viewed as heroic. However, tolerating opposition, equivalent to opposing, is also called for.

Collaborate-G43: Collaborating involves recognition that there may be a need for allies and alliances that are deeper than mere alignment and convenient support.

Unite-G44 : Uniting reflects the strongest inter-personal bonds and that is where personal aspects come to the fore.

G5: Declare Capabilities

No one is a generic leader. To be a leader in a particular context to meet a particular challenge, it is essential to search your inner self and be clear that you possess the relevant capabilities. This also calls for be clear about missing capabilities that need supplementation by others.
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Support-G21 : Support must be provided to all involved with addressing the challenge.

Explore-G32: When a strategic vision is viewed as a requirement for leadership, there is the assumption that the situation, the dynamic context, has been explored and understood i.e. exploration is essential.

Lead-G53: This is the heart of leadership: seeking group success through persuading, even convincing, others to follow a course that is believed to be good for them and that will achieve something they desire even if they may not be properly aware of this.

ClosedHow can a framework of «leadership» contain «lead» as one of its elements?

G6: Invoke Ideals

Ideals give form to leadership. The recognition of what ideals are relevant and the development of minimal standards for the group are critical tasks.

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Practise-G61: Practising in the sense of rehearsals is valuable. While proficiency in relevant skills is necessary, regarding everything required for leadership as a skill is a mistake.

Convert-G62: Converting is a strength to be developed because many abilities required are awarenesses rather than skills. Awarenesses depend on frameworks of beliefs and understanding that can be difficult to change. The personal and social stresses associated with altering perspectives and paradigms should not be minimized.

G7: Release Energies

Serving-G71 is the ultimate spiritual attitude that is required. Here, leadership is the activation of all willingness forms in the service of leading others to meet their needs.

Originally posted:  12-Jun-2026.