From industrial to collaborative leadership

The first industrial age that started in the 1700s had a significant impact on education. Schools became creators of submissive and obedient factory workers. Teachers were expected to carry out mechanical or meaningless work and simply follow orders from authority figures. The teachers in turn expected the same blind obedience from their students. The industrial model school and the industrial model leadership have survived for more than 200 years. Today, despite the radical advancement in technology the role of the leader is 'command and control'.

I've attempted to illustrate the characteristics of the industrial style leadership and compared it with the collaborative leadership that is the need of the hour. 

Industrial leadership refers to individuals and institutions that believe in a top-down approach to getting work done. More than two hundred years since the Industrial Age and we still practice the mindset today in almost every sector. 

Industrial leadership has the following characteristics:

• I command, you obey. 
• You must not express dissent.
• You must be docile, polite, and submit to any unrealistic demands.
• You must follow the hierarchy.
• I don't trust your expertise and judgment and hence I will have the final say.
• I have the right to withhold information.
• I have the right to demean you because I'm above you.

Team members, employees, and students who have experienced the regressive leadership style will be able to relate to the above. This kind of leadership kills creativity and compliance is rewarded. 

Henry Ford once said, “Why is it every time I ask for a pair of hands, a brain comes attached.” He was referring to assembly line workers who are not required to make decisions or solve problems but engage in repetitive tasks day in and out. 

In this era of collaboration, leaders and institutions need to shift from commanding to listening in order to become open to diverse perspectives. To get different results we need to change the way things are done. A bottom-up approach needs to be practiced. 

Collaborative leadership is characterized by the following:

• Diverse ideas are welcomed and implemented.
• Focus is on the team rather than on building hierarchies.
• There is no inner circle or outer circle. Everyone feels included. 
• Information is shared.
• Empathy is at the core of the communication and decisions made. 

The founder of Apple Inc. once said, "It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do."