The concept of "teal leadership" represents a significant shift from traditional directive management styles to a more humanistic, people-centered approach. This transformation necessitates a fundamental change in mindset and behavior for managers and leaders accustomed to the traditional MBA style of directive leadership. In this chapter, we will delve deeply into the principles of teal leadership, its significance, and its practical application in modern organizations.
The Essence of Teal Leadership
Teal leadership is more than just a management style; it is a paradigm shift that balances the need for control and direction with the need to coach, inspire, and engage team members. Traditional management often emphasizes control, with leaders directing their teams towards achieving predefined goals. In contrast, teal leadership emphasizes trust, autonomy, and the humanistic aspect of managing people.
The Transformational Shift
Moving from a directive MBA style to teal management requires a significant shift in mindset and behavior. Traditional leaders are trained to control and direct, focusing on achieving specific outcomes and driving performance through strict oversight. Teal leadership, however, encourages a move away from this control-centric approach towards one that prioritizes trust, autonomy, and engagement.
In a teal organization, leaders are not merely managers but facilitators of growth and development. They provide a supportive environment where team members can explore their potential, take ownership of their projects, and contribute to the organization's success in a meaningful way. This shift is not just about adopting new practices but about embracing a new way of thinking about leadership and management.
Balancing Control and Engagement
One of the central challenges of teal leadership is balancing the need to manage and control with the need to coach, inspire, and engage team members. In traditional management, control is often prioritized, with leaders closely monitoring their teams' activities and making key decisions. However, in a teal organization, the focus shifts towards creating an environment where team members feel empowered to take ownership of their work.
Balancing these two forces requires a nuanced approach. Leaders must still provide direction and oversight, but they do so in a way that encourages autonomy and self-management. This involves creating a culture of trust and psychological safety, where team members feel comfortable taking risks and making decisions.
Teal 1.0: A Humanistic Approach
Teal 1.0 focuses on a humanistic approach to management, respecting the subjective experiences of each team member and providing them with the space and freedom to explore their potential. This approach recognizes that each individual brings unique perspectives and strengths to the team, and it seeks to honor and leverage these differences.
In a teal organization, leaders create an environment that supports personal and professional growth. They encourage team members to share their ideas, take on new challenges, and develop their skills. This humanistic approach not only enhances individual performance but also fosters a sense of belonging and engagement within the team.
Key Principle: Separation of Functions
A key principle of teal leadership is the separation of directive and coaching functions. Traditional management often combines these two roles, with leaders providing both direction and support. However, in a teal organization, these functions are separated to better meet the needs of the team.
Directive functions involve setting goals, providing direction, and ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently. Coaching functions, on the other hand, focus on supporting team members, encouraging their development, and helping them to take ownership of their work. By separating these functions, teal leaders can better balance the need for control with the need for engagement and autonomy.
The Role of Teal Managers
Teal managers play a crucial role in fostering a culture of trust, autonomy, and engagement. Rather than simply directing their teams, they act as facilitators and coaches, encouraging team members to take ownership of their work and develop their solutions to problems.
One of the key strategies used by teal managers is to flip problems back to their team members. When someone comes to them with a problem, they respond with questions like, "What do you want?" or "What is the challenge?" This approach encourages team members to engage in problem-solving and take ownership of the solutions.
Teal managers also create an environment where team members feel supported and empowered. They provide the resources and support needed to tackle challenges and encourage collaboration and teamwork. By fostering a culture of trust and engagement, teal managers help their teams to perform at their best.
Trust and Safety: The Foundation of Teal Leadership
Trust and psychological safety are foundational elements of teal leadership. In many organizations, the traditional directive approach can create an environment of pressure and stress, undermining trust and safety. Teal leadership, on the other hand, prioritizes creating a safe space where team members feel valued and supported.
Since the pandemic, there has been a significant breakdown in the experience of trust in the corporate world. Many employees feel disconnected and unsupported, leading to decreased engagement and performance. Teal leadership addresses this issue by fostering an environment of trust and psychological safety.
Creating a safe space involves taking off the directive leadership hat and putting on the coach's hat. Teal leaders create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, taking risks, and making mistakes. This trust and safety are crucial for fostering innovation, collaboration, and high performance.
Creating Safe Spaces for High Performance
One of the most important functions of a teal leader is to create a safe space where team members can explore, engage, and develop solutions to complex problems. This involves managing outside distractions and pressures so that the team can focus on their work.
Creating a safe space requires leaders to be mindful of the impact of their actions and decisions on the team's psychological safety. Too much directive leadership can disrupt this safe space, making it difficult for team members to engage and perform at their best. Teal leaders must balance the need to deliver results with the need to create a supportive and empowering environment.
High Performance through Trust
Trust is the foundation for high performance in a teal organization. When team members feel trusted and supported, they are more likely to engage in their work, take ownership of their projects, and collaborate effectively with their colleagues. This trust fosters a culture of high performance, where teams can tackle complex problems and deliver outstanding results.
Talent Needs Freedom
Teal leaders understand that building trust takes time and effort. They invest in developing strong relationships with their team members, providing support and encouragement, and creating an environment of transparency and openness. By prioritizing trust, teal leaders create a foundation for high performance and long-term success.
Teal 2.0: A New Era of Leadership
Teal 2.0 represents the next phase of teal leadership, building on the principles of trust, autonomy, and engagement to create a new era of leadership. This new phase emphasizes co-creation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
In Teal 2.0, leaders and team members work together to create a shared vision and goals. They collaborate on developing solutions, leveraging the collective strengths and perspectives of the team. This co-creative approach fosters a sense of ownership and engagement, driving high performance and innovation.
Invitation to Co-create Teal 2.0
The journey towards teal leadership is ongoing, and the next phase, Teal 2.0, offers an exciting opportunity for leaders and organizations to co-create a new era of leadership. This new phase emphasizes collaboration, co-creation, and continuous improvement, building on the foundational principles of trust, autonomy, and engagement.
We invite you to join us in Greece on October 1, 2, and 3 to co-create the universe of Teal 2.0. Together, we will explore new ideas, share experiences, and develop strategies for implementing teal leadership in our organizations. This event is an opportunity to connect with like-minded leaders, learn from each other, and shape the future of leadership.
Teal leadership is not just a management style; it is a transformative approach that prioritizes trust, autonomy, and engagement. By embracing teal leadership, organizations can create a culture of high performance, innovation, and sustainable success. The journey towards teal leadership requires a shift in mindset and behavior, but the rewards are significant. By fostering an environment of trust and psychological safety, teal leaders can empower their teams to achieve their full potential and drive long-term success.
Take Action:
- Join the Erickson Teal 2.0 WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DhO9BiJz3gUDXiOu2YjrRp
- Register for the Erickson Teal 2.0 Forum: coming up October 1-3, in Loutraki Greece, outside Athens. You can register at www.Erickson.edu/teal or simply email teal@erickson.edu
- Erickson Teal 2.0 Forum Info Sessions: Friday Sept 13, Pacific 9:00-11:00 am PST. Zoom: https://erickson-edu.zoom.us/j/89246688301
