Leaders can be catalysts for change because they can help bring people together to create new ways of working. Leadership that fosters a collaborative culture helps an organization interact and interconnect in more productive and mutually-beneficial ways. By igniting collaborative capital, working relationships can flourish with creativity, innovation, and effective action.
Our situation is increasingly complex: economically, socially, environmentally. Methods that worked in the past don’t bring predictable results. According to a study on leadership conducted by IBM, in which IBM interviewed over 1500 CEOs, leaders feel unsure about how to deal with this complexity. Creativity is needed, as well as dexterity and the ability to develop new kinds of relationships with customers. (IBM’s study is very interesting: find it here: ibm.com/CEOStudy)
From my perspective, building new relationships with customers is not enough. Leaders need to put forward additional effort to foster connections with employees, partners, vendors, local and global communities. Thoughtful cultivation of relationships is crucial for future organizational success. By building relationships that are committed to integrity, focused on mutual support and on providing timely and accurate information flows, collaboration becomes possible. The power of relationships enables effective and aligned action.
By improving how well people work together, leaders enable their organizations to move beyond the status quo and co-create a mutually sustainable environment for work and community. The role of collaboration catalyst is a role we all need to play. Instead of isolating ourselves, we need to remember our interconnections and interdependence with each other and our world.
We limit ourselves by believing there is one answer or one solution. With an open invitation to other perspectives and a willingness to be changed by others, today's leaders can adapt to the complexities of our society and collaboratively develop creative responses and actions.
This blog aims to be a resource for leaders at all levels and locations that want to improve dispersed team effectiveness. Our focus is learning to work together in ways that turn distance and difference into strengths.
