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Abstract
The "visionary leader" narrative and performance mindset that predominate in theories and practices of "Change Leadership" are no longer effective in an environment of multi-dimensional diversity marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Developments over the past thirty years in organization development theory and practice, which have led to what we call Dialogic Organization Development, implicitly suggest a different leadership narrative and mindset are needed. Consistent with transformational OD practice, seven core assumptions of a Dialogic Mindset for leaders are described. Relying on one person to "show the way" has become a barrier to leaders enacting the kind of emergent change processes needed in rapidly changing, complex organizations. The contours of a new leadership narrative are identified followed by a discussion of the implications for leadership development.
Keywords: Leadership, leadership development, organization change, dialogic mindset, VUCA
In this article, we describe the dominant leadership narrative, which focuses on establishing visions and plans, assumes organizations are mostly stable entities, and presumes that data and analysis can solve problems. We argue that this dominant leadership narrative is no longer viable in a complex, interdependent, and multi-cultural world. A new narrative of leadership is forming that is more capable of guiding the emergent, generative organization and change processes required of interdependent systems in a multi-dimensional, diverse world marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). This narrative also includes new organization development practices that do not fit the dominant paradigm. Our ongoing study of these newer change practices (Bushe & Marshak, 2009, 2014, 2015) leads us to argue that successful leadership will require very different assumptions about organizing and leading from the prevailing "Performance Mindset" that emphasizes instrumental and measurable goal setting and achievement. We identify seven assumptions of a "Dialogic Mindset" we think underlie successful leadership practice in a VUCA world. The continuing emphasis on being a heroic, strategic thinker who can envision viable futures and the path to those futures does little to prepare today's leaders for the complex, ever-changing challenges they face. Instead, leaders need to utlize complexity and uncertainty in ways that encourage and enable generative and transformational change. We conclude by discussing three key attributes such leaders will require: the capacity to manage their own anxiety about "letting go" as well...