In a past post I raised a point about the difference between fox and hedgehog thinkers and how the way we think can have a real impact on the way we make decisions in a complex world. Following in a similar vein I think there are two styles of leadership. Command and control type of leadership and more collaborative leadership which I call participatory leadership.

The command and control type of leader might respond to an event by:

Whereas a participatory leader might respond to an event by:

The command and control style leader faces a real uphill battle regarding getting their team to take on and implement whatever it is that they came up with. This style of leadership can create real tension and conflict for the both the leader and their team. The participatory leader on the otherhand is less likely to burn themselves or their team out having moved and evolved along in discussion and dialogue with their team members. Participatory approaches such as those found in business narrative and story telling are the way of the future for more sustainable leadership in organisations. Of course, I’m only partially biased.