Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty

Each person’s change signature, like a fingerprint, is unique.N O T E SFEach person brings his/her unique values, skills, experience,1. Senge, P. 1996. “Leading Learning Organizations: The Bold, theEPowerful, and the Invisible.” In F. Hesselbein, et al., The Leader of the Future.Itactics, and personality to the role of leader. Each person hasSan Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Rhis/her personal way of making change happen, although2. Weick, K. 1995. Sensemaking in Organizations. Thousand Oaks: SageMIT Leadership CenterBthere certainly are patterns across individuals. The change Publications.Hsignature is made up of a credo and the characteristic way inCwhich the leader creates change. The term “credo” refers to a3. Sutcliffe, K., and K. Weick. 2002. “Managing the Unexpected:RAssuring High Performance in an Age of Complexity.” EuropeanAperson’s core values and beliefs both for themselves and fortheir organization (this concept is built on that of Kouzes Management Journal, 20, pp. 709-710.and Posner, 1993)‚.Leadership in an ESE4. Argyris, C. and Schön, D. 1996. Organizational learning II: Theory, methodRand practice. Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley.The second aspect of the change signature is the way an indi-5. Senge, P., 1990. The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learningvidual typically embodies the four capabilities and the charac-Age of UncertaintyOrganization. New York: Doubleday.teristic way in which that person makes change happen. Forexample, what are the skills, abilities, tactics and modes of6. Pfeffer, J. 1992. Managing with Power: Politics and Influence inOrganizations. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.by Deborah Anconaoperating that characterize how you carry out your leadershipHighlighting activities? Some people might carry out sensemaking in a verySeley Distinguished Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management7. Kouzes, J. and B. Posner. 1993. Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It,interpersonal manner, moving from office to office learningWhy People Demand It. San-Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Faculty Director of the MIT Leadership CenterLeadershipfrom everyone they meet. For others it might be a purely analytic process that starts and ends on the computer. LeadersThe Romans wondered whether force or inspiration was more effective as a motiva->learn through experiences what is most important to themtor. Our own culture glorifies the charismatic while preaching participation.and how they can be most effective with others. This processInterest in this question has only intensified as we watch a new world order unfoldLeadership is not solely the is facilitated when leaders take the time to reflect on theirin the aftermath of September 11th, and as we are bombarded with images of cor-experiences. Often people report that they learn more fromporate corruption and attempts at reform. We all hunger to know what leadershipresponsibility of the CEO, but canfailure than success, but all experience can help shed light onis, yet the concept remains amorphous.what kind of leader you are.and should permeate all levels ofThe history of leadership theory started with an emphasis on traits—the notionLeadership, as presented here, is a combination of four that it is the make-up of the leader that makes all the difference. This approachthe organization.capabilities and a change signature. It is distributed acrossdominated research up to the late 1940’s. Current research suggests that ourindividuals, and involves sensemaking, relating, visioning andadmired leaders today are honest, inspiring, self-confident, and adaptive. But traits>inventing. By engaging in these activities over time leadersdo not always predict leadership effectiveness, and so researchers have shifted tobegin to develop their own distinct way of making thingslook at the behavior or style of the leader.Every leader has his or her distincthappen. Through a variety of experiences leaders can furtherdevelop their capabilities, build leadership capacity in anThis research brief seeks to provide a framework that allows us to integrate priorway of using these capabilities organization, and create a better understanding of their leadership theories, while focusing on what leaders actually do. It is a frameworkown values and skills.that views leadership as a capacity that both individuals and groups possess. Theto make change happen. Thisframework—developed by four MIT Sloan faculty members, Deborah Ancona,Wanda Orlikowski, Peter Senge and Tom Malone—carries several core assump-unique pattern is called a “changetions:signature”.L E A D E R S H I P I S D I S T R I B U T E D . That is, leadership is not solely the purviewof the CEO, but can and should permeate all levels of the firm (Senge, 1996)1.>About the MIT Leadership CenterContact:L E A D E R S H I P I S P E R S O N A L A N D D E V E L O P M E N TA L . There is no singleThe MIT Leadership Center is changingorganizations. The Center transformsMIT Leadership CenterThe capacity for leadership is way to lead. The best way to create change is to work with the particular capabili-the way leadership is researched, prac-intensive study into multifaceted30 Wadsworth Streetties that you have, while constantly working to improve and expand those capabili-ticed and taught by fusing MIT’s preem-action-oriented practices that combineCambridge, MA 02142both individual and collective.>ties.inence in technological innovation withlearning and doing to give leaders themanagement and leadership. Workingtools and experience to solve complexTelephone: 617.253.6222L E A D E R S H I P I S A P R O C E S S T O C R E AT E C H A N G E . Leadership is aboutwith faculty, students and leaders fromproblems, boost business performance,Facsimile: 617.253.6765making things happen, contingent on a context. Leaders may create change bybusiness, academia and industry, theand create positive social change.http://sloanleadership.mit.eduplaying a central role in the actual change process, or by creating an environment inCenter creates cutting-edge theory,which others are empowered to act.pragmatic tools and curricula to devel-Deborah Ancona, Faculty Directorop leaders at all levels of all types ofMary Schaefer, Executive DirectorL E A D E R S H I P D E V E L O P S O V E R T I M E . It is through practice, reflection, fol-lowing role models, feedback, and theory that we learn leadership.© 2005 MIT Leadership Center, Cambridge, MA 02142Leadership Framework2 ) R E L AT I N G : D E V E L O P I N G K E Y R E L AT I O N S H I P S3 ) V I S I O N I N G : C R E AT I N G A C O M P E L L I N G V I S I O NThese capabilities can also create tensions that need to beW I T H I N A N D A C R O S S O R G A N I Z AT I O N S . LeadershipO F T H E F U T U R E . While sensemaking creates a map ofmanaged. It is difficult to hold an image of the future and theVisioningis not an individual sport, and in our networked age the abili-what is, visioning is a map of what could be. Visions arepresent simultaneously. Balancing people and processes, actionty to connect and build trusting relationships is a key compe-important because they provide the motivation for people toand understanding, individual and collective aspirations, cantency. While leaders try to create trust, optimism, and harmo-give up their current views and ways of working in order tobe challenging. Yet it is inherent in the framework that man-ny, they often get anger, cynicism, and conflict instead. Thechange. Perhaps most importantly, visioning provides peopleaging these very tensions is the essence of leadership.core capability of relating centers on the leader’s ability towith a sense of meaning about their work. It answers theSensemakingRelatingengage in inquiry, advocacy, and connecting. Inquiry andquestion “why am I doing this?” Thus good leaders are able toWhile individuals need to exercise all four capabilities theyadvocacy are terms coined in the pioneering work of Chrisframe visions in a way that emphasizes their importance alongmust also work with others who complement their skill port-Argyris and Don Schon (1996)4, as well Peter Senge (1990)5.some key value dimensions. Tips for effective Visioning are:folio. In this way leadership can be shared among many.In order to enable effective interpersonal relationships, both> Develop a vision about something that excites you or thatWhere one might be planning the future, another is workingpractices are necessary.you think is important;with others to invent ways to improve current operations.Inventing> Frame the vision with an ideological goal;Thus, leadership is both individual and collective.Inquiry means the ability to listen and understand what oth-> Use stories, metaphors and analogies to paint a vivid pictureers are thinking and feeling. It also involves trying to under-of what the vision will accomplish;Developing a Signature StyleChange Signaturestand how the other person has moved from data to interpre-> Practice creating a vision in many arenas;The four capabilities, like the compass that they form, aretation to assessment, rather than simply reacting to the assess-> Enable co-workers by pointing out that they have the skillsonly a tool. It is the change signature that determines howment itself. It requires the leader to suspend judgment and toand capabilities needed to realize the vision; andand what the tool is used for. While the capabilities focus onlisten without imposing his/her personal point of view. And> Embody the key values and ideas contained in the vision—what leaders do, the change signature is about who a leader is.Inventing a Framework in which to Leadyet leadership requires having opinions and taking a stand.“walk the talk.”It develops slowly based on experience and skills. It is a keyThe framework begins with four key leadership capabilities:part of the leadership model because it represents who we areSensemaking, Relating, Visioning, and Inventing. Added toThe second area of relating is advocacy. This involves taking a4 ) I N V E N T I N G : C R E AT I N G N E W W AY S O F W O R K -as leaders.these capabilities is the notion of a change “signature” —yourstand and trying to influence others of its merits while alsoI N G T O G E T H E R . Inventing entails creating the processesown unique way of making change happen. Leaders in busi-being open to alternative views (Pfeffer, 1992)6. It means tak-and structures needed to make the vision a reality. It involvesness settings need all of these capabilities to be successful, anding responsibility for your own biases and leaps to judgmentimplementing the steps needed to achieve our vision of thecycle through them on an ongoing basis.while being able to say, “I was wrong, I jumped to conclusionsfuture. Tips for effective inventing include:based on insufficient data and overreacted.” Yet often in busi-> Maintain focus on improving the ways that people work1 ) S E N S E M A K I N G (term coined by Karl Weick, 19952):ness there is a great deal more advocacy than inquiry.together in your team and organization;M A K I N G S E N S E O F T H E W O R L D A R O U N D U S .Sometimes we are so busy trying to push our own ideas that> When a new task or change effort emerges, think throughBy engaging in these activities over The act of Sensemaking is discovering the new terrain as youwe do not really listen to what others are saying.how it will get done—who will do what, by when, and inare inventing it. In the very process of mapping the new ter-what configuration;time leaders begin to develop their own rain, you are creating it. Building on the work of Sutcliffe andThe third area of relating is connecting. It is the ability to> Play with new and different ways of organizing work—Weick, 20023, here are some tips for Sensemaking:build collaborative relationships with others and to createexamine alternative ways of grouping people together,distinct way of making things happen.> Seek many types and sources of data;coalitions for change. Tips for effective connecting are:organizing their internal interaction, and linking across dif-> Involve others in your sensemaking;> Understand the perspective of others within the organiza-ferent groups;Through a variety of experiences leaders> Do not simply apply your existing frameworks and overlaytion and withhold judgment while listening to them;> Blend sensemaking and inventing.them on the situation;> Encourage others to voice their opinions;can further develop their capabilities,> Move beyond stereotypes;> Be clear about your stand and how you reached it;The four capabilities of sensemaking, relating, visioning and> Learn from small experiments; and> Think about how others might react to your idea and howinventing are complementary. Without inventing, visions maybuild leadership capacity in an > Use images, metaphors, or stories to try to capture andyou might best explain it to them; and remain dreams that never get realized. Inventing without acommunicate critical elements of your map.> Think about your connections.clear sense of the current situation and where you want to goorganization, and create a better under-can result in chaos. People want to know that they are operat-ing with an accurate map of reality, not one that is outdatedstanding of their own values and skills.or based on wishful thinking. They also want to know thatthey are working for something that is important. Finally,while visions and new structures can result in great activity,without a base of people who are committed to workingtogether towards the goal, any success may be short-lived.2 | MIT Leadership CenterLeadership in an Age of Uncertainty | 3Leadership Framework2 ) R E L AT I N G : D E V E L O P I N G K E Y R E L AT I O N S H I P S3 ) V I S I O N I N G : C R E AT I N G A C O M P E L L I N G V I S I O NThese capabilities can also create tensions that need to beW I T H I N A N D A C R O S S O R G A N I Z AT I O N S . LeadershipO F T H E F U T U R E . While sensemaking creates a map ofmanaged. It is difficult to hold an image of the future and theVisioningis not an individual sport, and in our networked age the abili-what is, visioning is a map of what could be. Visions arepresent simultaneously. Balancing people and processes, actionty to connect and build trusting relationships is a key compe-important because they provide the motivation for people toand understanding, individual and collective aspirations, cantency. While leaders try to create trust, optimism, and harmo-give up their current views and ways of working in order tobe challenging. Yet it is inherent in the framework that man-ny, they often get anger, cynicism, and conflict instead. Thechange. Perhaps most importantly, visioning provides peopleaging these very tensions is the essence of leadership.core capability of relating centers on the leader’s ability towith a sense of meaning about their work. It answers theSensemakingRelatingengage in inquiry, advocacy, and connecting. Inquiry andquestion “why am I doing this?” Thus good leaders are able toWhile individuals need to exercise all four capabilities theyadvocacy are terms coined in the pioneering work of Chrisframe visions in a way that emphasizes their importance alongmust also work with others who complement their skill port-Argyris and Don Schon (1996)4, as well Peter Senge (1990)5.some key value dimensions. Tips for effective Visioning are:folio. In this way leadership can be shared among many.In order to enable effective interpersonal relationships, both> Develop a vision about something that excites you or thatWhere one might be planning the future, another is workingpractices are necessary.you think is important;with others to invent ways to improve current operations.Inventing> Frame the vision with an ideological goal;Thus, leadership is both individual and collective.Inquiry means the ability to listen and understand what oth-> Use stories, metaphors and analogies to paint a vivid pictureers are thinking and feeling. It also involves trying to under-of what the vision will accomplish;Developing a Signature StyleChange Signaturestand how the other person has moved from data to interpre-> Practice creating a vision in many arenas;The four capabilities, like the compass that they form, aretation to assessment, rather than simply reacting to the assess-> Enable co-workers by pointing out that they have the skillsonly a tool. It is the change signature that determines howment itself. It requires the leader to suspend judgment and toand capabilities needed to realize the vision; andand what the tool is used for. While the capabilities focus onlisten without imposing his/her personal point of view. And> Embody the key values and ideas contained in the vision—what leaders do, the change signature is about who a leader is.Inventing a Framework in which to Leadyet leadership requires having opinions and taking a stand.“walk the talk.”It develops slowly based on experience and skills. It is a keyThe framework begins with four key leadership capabilities:part of the leadership model because it represents who we areSensemaking, Relating, Visioning, and Inventing. Added toThe second area of relating is advocacy. This involves taking a4 ) I N V E N T I N G : C R E AT I N G N E W W AY S O F W O R K -as leaders.these capabilities is the notion of a change “signature” —yourstand and trying to influence others of its merits while alsoI N G T O G E T H E R . Inventing entails creating the processesown unique way of making change happen. Leaders in busi-being open to alternative views (Pfeffer, 1992)6. It means tak-and structures needed to make the vision a reality. It involvesness settings need all of these capabilities to be successful, anding responsibility for your own biases and leaps to judgmentimplementing the steps needed to achieve our vision of thecycle through them on an ongoing basis.while being able to say, “I was wrong, I jumped to conclusionsfuture. Tips for effective inventing include:based on insufficient data and overreacted.” Yet often in busi-> Maintain focus on improving the ways that people work1 ) S E N S E M A K I N G (term coined by Karl Weick, 19952):ness there is a great deal more advocacy than inquiry.together in your team and organization;M A K I N G S E N S E O F T H E W O R L D A R O U N D U S .Sometimes we are so busy trying to push our own ideas that> When a new task or change effort emerges, think throughBy engaging in these activities over The act of Sensemaking is discovering the new terrain as youwe do not really listen to what others are saying.how it will get done—who will do what, by when, and inare inventing it. In the very process of mapping the new ter-what configuration;time leaders begin to develop their own rain, you are creating it. Building on the work of Sutcliffe andThe third area of relating is connecting. It is the ability to> Play with new and different ways of organizing work—Weick, 20023, here are some tips for Sensemaking:build collaborative relationships with others and to createexamine alternative ways of grouping people together,distinct way of making things happen.> Seek many types and sources of data;coalitions for change. Tips for effective connecting are:organizing their internal interaction, and linking across dif-> Involve others in your sensemaking;> Understand the perspective of others within the organiza-ferent groups;Through a variety of experiences leaders> Do not simply apply your existing frameworks and overlaytion and withhold judgment while listening to them;> Blend sensemaking and inventing.them on the situation;> Encourage others to voice their opinions;can further develop their capabilities,> Move beyond stereotypes;> Be clear about your stand and how you reached it;The four capabilities of sensemaking, relating, visioning and> Learn from small experiments; and> Think about how others might react to your idea and howinventing are complementary. Without inventing, visions maybuild leadership capacity in an > Use images, metaphors, or stories to try to capture andyou might best explain it to them; and remain dreams that never get realized. Inventing without acommunicate critical elements of your map.> Think about your connections.clear sense of the current situation and where you want to goorganization, and create a better under-can result in chaos. People want to know that they are operat-ing with an accurate map of reality, not one that is outdatedstanding of their own values and skills.or based on wishful thinking. They also want to know thatthey are working for something that is important. Finally,while visions and new structures can result in great activity,without a base of people who are committed to workingtogether towards the goal, any success may be short-lived.2 | MIT Leadership CenterLeadership in an Age of Uncertainty | 3Each person’s change signature, like a fingerprint, is unique.N O T E SFEach person brings his/her unique values, skills, experience,1. Senge, P. 1996. “Leading Learning Organizations: The Bold, theEPowerful, and the Invisible.” In F. Hesselbein, et al., The Leader of the Future.Itactics, and personality to the role of leader. Each person hasSan Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Rhis/her personal way of making change happen, although2. Weick, K. 1995. Sensemaking in Organizations. Thousand Oaks: SageMIT Leadership CenterBthere certainly are patterns across individuals. The change Publications.Hsignature is made up of a credo and the characteristic way inCwhich the leader creates change. The term “credo” refers to a3. Sutcliffe, K., and K. Weick. 2002. “Managing the Unexpected:RAssuring High Performance in an Age of Complexity.” EuropeanAperson’s core values and beliefs both for themselves and fortheir organization (this concept is built on that of Kouzes Management Journal, 20, pp. 709-710.and Posner, 1993)‚.Leadership in an ESE4. Argyris, C. and Schön, D. 1996. Organizational learning II: Theory, methodRand practice. Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley.The second aspect of the change signature is the way an indi-5. Senge, P., 1990. The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learningvidual typically embodies the four capabilities and the charac-Age of UncertaintyOrganization. New York: Doubleday.teristic way in which that person makes change happen. Forexample, what are the skills, abilities, tactics and modes of6. Pfeffer, J. 1992. Managing with Power: Politics and Influence inOrganizations. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.by Deborah Anconaoperating that characterize how you carry out your leadershipHighlighting activities? Some people might carry out sensemaking in a verySeley Distinguished Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management7. Kouzes, J. and B. Posner. 1993. Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It,interpersonal manner, moving from office to office learningWhy People Demand It. San-Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Faculty Director of the MIT Leadership CenterLeadershipfrom everyone they meet. For others it might be a purely analytic process that starts and ends on the computer. LeadersThe Romans wondered whether force or inspiration was more effective as a motiva->learn through experiences what is most important to themtor. Our own culture glorifies the charismatic while preaching participation.and how they can be most effective with others. This processInterest in this question has only intensified as we watch a new world order unfoldLeadership is not solely the is facilitated when leaders take the time to reflect on theirin the aftermath of September 11th, and as we are bombarded with images of cor-experiences. Often people report that they learn more fromporate corruption and attempts at reform. We all hunger to know what leadershipresponsibility of the CEO, but canfailure than success, but all experience can help shed light onis, yet the concept remains amorphous.what kind of leader you are.and should permeate all levels ofThe history of leadership theory started with an emphasis on traits—the notionLeadership, as presented here, is a combination of four that it is the make-up of the leader that makes all the difference. This approachthe organization.capabilities and a change signature. It is distributed acrossdominated research up to the late 1940’s. Current research suggests that ourindividuals, and involves sensemaking, relating, visioning andadmired leaders today are honest, inspiring, self-confident, and adaptive. But traits>inventing. By engaging in these activities over time leadersdo not always predict leadership effectiveness, and so researchers have shifted tobegin to develop their own distinct way of making thingslook at the behavior or style of the leader.Every leader has his or her distincthappen. Through a variety of experiences leaders can furtherdevelop their capabilities, build leadership capacity in anThis research brief seeks to provide a framework that allows us to integrate priorway of using these capabilities organization, and create a better understanding of their leadership theories, while focusing on what leaders actually do. It is a frameworkown values and skills.that views leadership as a capacity that both individuals and groups possess. Theto make change happen. Thisframework—developed by four MIT Sloan faculty members, Deborah Ancona,Wanda Orlikowski, Peter Senge and Tom Malone—carries several core assump-unique pattern is called a “changetions:signature”.L E A D E R S H I P I S D I S T R I B U T E D . That is, leadership is not solely the purviewof the CEO, but can and should permeate all levels of the firm (Senge, 1996)1.>About the MIT Leadership CenterContact:L E A D E R S H I P I S P E R S O N A L A N D D E V E L O P M E N TA L . There is no singleThe MIT Leadership Center is changingorganizations. The Center transformsMIT Leadership CenterThe capacity for leadership is way to lead. The best way to create change is to work with the particular capabili-the way leadership is researched, prac-intensive study into multifaceted30 Wadsworth Streetties that you have, while constantly working to improve and expand those capabili-ticed and taught by fusing MIT’s preem-action-oriented practices that combineCambridge, MA 02142both individual and collective.>ties.inence in technological innovation withlearning and doing to give leaders themanagement and leadership. Workingtools and experience to solve complexTelephone: 617.253.6222L E A D E R S H I P I S A P R O C E S S T O C R E AT E C H A N G E . Leadership is aboutwith faculty, students and leaders fromproblems, boost business performance,Facsimile: 617.253.6765making things happen, contingent on a context. Leaders may create change bybusiness, academia and industry, theand create positive social change.http://sloanleadership.mit.eduplaying a central role in the actual change process, or by creating an environment inCenter creates cutting-edge theory,which others are empowered to act.pragmatic tools and curricula to devel-Deborah Ancona, Faculty Directorop leaders at all levels of all types ofMary Schaefer, Executive DirectorL E A D E R S H I P D E V E L O P S O V E R T I M E . It is through practice, reflection, fol-lowing role models, feedback, and theory that we learn leadership.© 2005 MIT Leadership Center, Cambridge, MA 02142