Facilitative Leadership: the “Easy Way”

It’s an awesome place to be when we’re with people--a team of people--all pulling together under fun and inspirational leadership. Not all team situations are allowed this quantity of latitude due mainly to variant circumstances that at times demand steep discipline and focus, but a team environment that finds itself occasionally, no, frequently buoyant is a boon for people’s broader lives.

I find that a style of leadership that lends itself to enriching people’s lives is a style that works most consistently. Imagine working in a job where you just loved the challenges and the people you worked with, not to mention your boss… imagine looking forward to Monday?

Enter facilitative leadership.

Unconditionally Accepting Attitude

Leaders who make life easy with a ‘give and take’ attitude remove some of the unnecessary complications of life. We’ve been fortunate, some/many of us, to have experienced this style of leader firsthand--and if so, we probably picture that person now.

For this type of leader, nothing can really harm their self-perception and their groundedness within themselves, or for that matter, their perceptions of others; they always seem to base their perceptions and expectations on truth--on what is reasonable and logical, realistic... practicable. They’re comfortable people to be around and they’re easy to get to know.

“Facilitative” Leadership

These leaders are facilitative leaders; they make work and relationships easy.

~~ They look for and help create connections and meaning between people and things. It’s about creating synergy and transformation possibilities.

~~ They’re ostensibly coaches in style. They consistently employ the ‘power of asking versus the force of telling.’

~~ They’ll tend to hold back on some decision making allowing team members to become involved.

~~ They balance effectively content (the “what) with the process (the “how”) and do this quite intuitively seeking to raise others up--if the team’s managing okay they leave them alone.

~~ They create space and room for new ideas or admissions of error--there is a ‘no blame’ approach and honesty is quietly applauded.

~~ They have one eye on now and one eye on the future, looking into developmental opportunities and possibilities for their team and individuals within their team.

Courageous when necessary

All good leaders need to make the tough decision. They abide in truth and meet the challenges as presented and are able to call the right shots as required, neither shirking their responsibility nor missing the opportunities due to a mental lapse; they’re on the ball.

They also don’t get in the way of progress. They also keep moving forward and are ‘forgetful’ in the good way that they don’t bear grudges at any time. They say sorry quickly and sincerely whenever necessary. They keep all of their relationships positive.

Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? Like a boss like this? Like to be a boss like this?

A very good, informative website was used as part of the feedstock for this article: http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2006/08/06/the-practice-of-facilitative-leadership/

Copyright © 2009, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.