Paradigm, an often used and not as well understood concept, is essentially a model or a worldview that encompasses certain beliefs. We live within certain paradigms related to our roles in our family, community, profession, etc. These paradigms inform our actions and begin to create our power signature – the type of impact we have on the world. I offer that leaders operate from one of two paradigms in any given situation; Win/Lose or Win/Win, which can change given the circumstances and our conditioning.
The concept of looking for a “win/win” has become rather popularized as the “right way” to engage in business. That does not mean that simply because we can talk the talk at cocktails parties, we actually live that way when challenging situations arise. It’s easy to claim you are operating in the Win/Win paradigm when A) the cards are in your favor, and B) you don’t place much value on what another party might have to give up for your direction to prevail. To be clear, that is NOT operating in the Win/Win.
The Win/Win paradigm does not mean that all parties will be pleased with the outcome, or avoid difficulty as a result of the course of action. In any kind of discrete choice there is a potential for some parties to believe they are worse off. One of my professors in business school used to say that we would someday “get paid the big bucks to make decisions with imperfect information”. Leadership is fraught with decisions that impact large numbers of people with a wide range of impacts. There are always unknowns. Good leadership does not protect everyone from everything. That’s unrealistic. Good leadership seeks to make the best of difficult situations for as many as possible for as long as possible, and to create an environment for those who are negatively impacted to pivot, IF they choose to do so. Leaders are not despots. They are not responsible for the lives of everyone they lead. They are responsible for creating environments where individuals, groups and society as a whole has the opportunity to grow and develop. And, when difficult times come, they have the privilege and responsibility to either bring about new opportunities or allow individuals to experience the consequences of their decisions.
When sitting squarely within the Win/Win paradigm, leaders often feel the heaviness of their decisions. It is not easy. Leaders can get swept up in the specifics of a given situation and find themselves confused about what action to take. Good leaders do not want to create problems or do harm to others. Yet, as previously said, they are equally not responsible for everyone’s happiness and success. And they are being watched and evaluated on their decisions constantly. Real leadership is a pressure cooker situation. To that end, I’ve created a road map for leaders to help them sit squarely in the Win/Win paradigm, regardless of how complex the issue is before them.
The Win/Win paradigm is anchored by the archetypal energy of the BUILDER, HEALER and TEACHER. When leaders engage from these vantage points they create an environment of empowerment and checkmate abusive behavior. Let’s unpack each of these archetypes briefly and see how they apply to leadership and professional environments.
- BUILDER – Builder energy creates something new. It enters markets, creates new cross-functional departments, envisions and delivers revolutionary products, and otherwise does things differently that move individuals, teams and stakeholder groups forward.
- HEALER – Healer energy repairs what has been damaged. It sees the rifts that can result between departments or individuals with opposing mandates, speaks from a space of emotional intelligence, is non-judgmental yet evaluative, and invites others to let go of old discord and once again work together towards common goals.
- TEACHER – Teacher energy imparts knowledge through experience. It provides examples, guidance and opportunities to fail from which to learn. It explains and models effective behavior and rewards others for doing the same.
The Win/Lose paradigm, in contrast, is marked by the archetypal energy of the ENABLER. Leading from the Win/Lose when faced with challenges is marked by allowing victim mentality and misuse of power to drive decision making and action or lack of action. The result is a lack of individual responsibility, sub-par performance, lack of consideration for others, and a “take care of myself first” environment.
When we face complex leadership problems, considering how each of these archetypes would engage can help provide some clarity, reduce indecision, increase confidence and even speed at arriving at a decision. In the next post we will consider some hypothetical challenges and see how using this model can help leaders act from the Win/Win paradigm and use their power in just and effective ways that ultimately create a positive, generative impact.