In the world of business and leadership, it’s vital that you continue to try new things and challenge your current ideas.
If you talk to the same people, hire the same people, read the same books – there is no room for growth, and there will never be real fulfillment in your work life. This intentional growth is something that we are deeply committed to doing – the entire Solhver Project is a reflection of the desire to simply be better.
But finding a balance between maintaining one’s unique identity and being open to ideas and influences is a complicated dance. Determining where healthy inspiration crosses the line into lazy imitation is difficult and vague. Personally, my biggest concern is allowing myself to “navel gaze” to the point that I become ineffectual or unfocused; I see this happen a lot with people who begin coaching programs or just read the “next big management book”.
Avoid Being Capsized
Flannery O’Connor is my favorite author; I adore her writing and her approach to life. As a southern gothic writer, everything she created existed in a world where Faulkner was a thing. For my literature majors out there, the shadow he cast across the southern landscape was huge, and O’Connor found herself in magni nominis umbra just like the rest of us.
She was so affected by Faulkner that she maintained a cautious distance from his work, saying, “I keep clear of Faulkner so my own little boat won’t get swamped.” She was acutely aware of Faulkner’s profound impact on American literature and chose to maintain a respectful distance. This wasn’t out of disregard but a conscious effort to preserve her voice without being pulled and pushed by his wake.
This is the same challenge we face on this site. As we interact with new ideas, new thought leaders, and new experiences, we need to be cautious not to become unmoored from the habits and beliefs that made us successful in the first place.
The Importance of Personal Identity in Leadership
In leadership and management, your identity is sacrosanct. It’s the amalgamation of your values, experiences, and unique approach to challenges. This personal identity is crucial, as it distinguishes you from others, guiding your decisions and leadership style. The fear, as O’Connor metaphorically highlighted, is in allowing the influence of industry titans or prevailing management trends to ‘swamp’ your individuality, leading to a loss of authenticity. Authenticity, like all leadership buzzwords, is overused but undeniably crucial in building honest relationships.
Open Waters: The Value of Influence
While O’Connor was cautious about being swamped by Faulkner’s influence, she was neither ignorant nor dismissive of his work. This nuanced stance is vital for business leaders. The corporate world is a tumultuous sea of ideas, innovations, and methodologies. To navigate these waters successfully, one must be open to influence. This openness allows leaders to absorb what is beneficial, adapt to changing environments, and foster a culture of learning and development within their organizations.
We have to engage new thoughts and ideas actively and aggressively. Growth requires it and success demands it. We must find new avenues for discussion, new spaces for debate and new ways of building relationships – like all things in business, if you aren’t growing you are dying.
Charting Your Course: Striking the Balance
How, then, can leaders strike this crucial balance? Here are a few strategies:
- Self-Reflection: Regularly take stock of your values, goals, and the core aspects of your leadership identity. This reflection acts as an anchor, helping you stay true to yourself amidst external influences.
- Selective Influence: Be discerning about the influences you allow into your ‘boat.’ Not every trending theory or leadership model will align with your vision or values. Choose those that complement and enhance your identity, rather than overshadow it.
- Adaptation, Not Imitation: Use external influences as a source of inspiration, not a blueprint for imitation. Adapt ideas to fit your context and leadership style, ensuring they enhance rather than dilute your identity.
- Continuous Learning: Embrace a mindset of continuous learning. By expanding your knowledge and understanding, you not only stay relevant but also deepen your leadership identity, making it more robust against being ‘swamped’ by external forces.
- Foster Diversity: Encourage diverse ideas and perspectives within your team. This not only enriches the collective intelligence of your organization but also helps in tempering the influence of any single ideology or individual.
- Dance with Who Brought You: Don’t lose touch with the people and influences that helped to build your success in the first place. For me, this means never becoming too many steps removed from the work being done outside a boardroom.
Conclusion
In leadership, as in literature, the richness of one’s contribution lies not in capitulating to the prevailing winds but in charting a course that is both personal and pioneering. O’Connor’s cautious engagement with Faulkner’s work offers a profound lesson for business leaders: to remain open to the vast ocean of ideas and influences, yet ensure that their ‘boat’ – their unique identity – is not swamped, but rather, is propelled forward by adding new perspectives.