Five Signs You are a Beta
Jeffrey Hull, PhD
If you get most of your information these days from Fox News, CNN or MSNBC, you might be forgiven if you think that the world is becoming a very alpha place. It seems every day we hear about another country boosting an autocratic leader into a position of power. Yet those who work on the ground in today’s organizations see another paradigm emergent on the leadership landscape: the rise of the beta leader. In today’s flatter, networked, structures, where diverse and multi-cultural staff often work in virtual teams, collaboration and engagement are becoming the key drivers of performance — and innovation. Orchestrating a symphony of knowledge workers calls for a different style of leadership, one where the focus is “power with” not “power over,” where employees are motivated by meaningful work not bland job descriptions. In response, a new breed of leader, the beta leader, is ascendant. Are you part of this quiet revolution? Here are five signs that you just might be a beta.
- You believe in democracy
Beta leaders recognize the inherent messiness of consensus-building, and consider the value of a cacophony of diverse voices more useful than a line-up of “yes” men (or women). Their approach to a disruptive moment is to quickly coalesce a skunkworks that pulls the best ideas from everyone — including those workers closest to the actual problem (e.g. ground floor customer service) not just the C-suite. This doesn’t mean that under emergency or urgent situations, they can’t be decisive (leveraging their inner alpha) but when the goal is creativity and agility — leaders who are great listeners, highly curious, and who can glean the best ideas from others are more likely to foster innovation and engagement — two key ingredients for success in today’s fast changing business environment.
2. You believe EQ is just as important as IQ
Ever since Frederick Winslow Taylor and the industrial engineers of the early 20th century deemed small repetitive acts as inherently efficient, “productivity” has been narrowly defined as quantitative output. Yet today’s services oriented economy demands customized, responsive, human-to-human connectivity to optimize a “customer journey” — not just maximize results. It’s ironic that management science devotees of yore wanted workers to behave like robots — for now we have realrobots on the factory floor — and the creative brain of each human worker is what we most need. This paradigm shift calls for leaders who welcome the emotional component of decision-making (for example, balancing data with intuition). Neuro-scientists have demonstrated that EQ and IQ have always been false categories — and now beta leaders are re-connecting the dots — head, heart and body — leading us into the age of creativity.
3. You are not afraid to be vulnerable
As the saying goes, “It’s tough to be soft.” Being open and transparent about your fears as a leader might feel like the antithesis of competent leadership –but that is an antiquated meme. Expressing vulnerability, empathy and compassion for others may not be not the norm on the leadership stage, but increasingly workers are seeking a leader who is open and genuine, not just stoic. It is widely recognized that work environments in today’s 24-hour, multiple time zone world can be super stressful — and having to “put on a happy face” just adds to the stress. If you are the kind of leader who can acknowledge your limits, able to say, with humility, “I don’t know but I’m up for learning,” those on your watch are likely not only to be less stressed out, they may just walk to the ends of the earth with you.
4. You value coaching over directing
When one of your underlings is not stepping up to the plate the way you would like, what’s your first inclination? Do you have an expectation that if you delegate to others, theyshoulddo what you say because of your rank or position power? All well and good until you bump up against someone who is failing or flailing. And what about the superstars? Do you just lay out the goals and sit back and watch them soar? If you thought to yourself, “that’s not me, I’m focused on creating an environment where everyone — from the newbie to the expert — can learn, get feedback and grow.” Then you’re a beta. Betas recognize that all great athletes, artists and performers rely on a coach to get them to the top of their game. Coaching, as the alphas like to complain, takes time, but if you are one of those leaders who believe in bringing out the best in everyone, then there is no more valuable way to spend it.
5. You don’t just tolerate diversity, you embrace it
One of my alpha clients complains about the challenges of diversity: “It used to be so easy. We could all just grab a beer after work or go bowling after an intense brainstorming session. Now I’ve got team members who don’t drink beer, some who think bowling is boring and others who tell me their best ideas don’t even come in the midst of brainstorms but while they meditate in the woods. I want to be ‘inclusive’ but it’s not easy.” He’s right of course. Getting the most out of a multi-gendered, multi-racial and multi-cultural workforce requires a whole new level of flexibility. These days it is not acceptable to “form a more perfect union” by excluding or minimizing the input of large portions of the population. If we are to tackle the messes we humans have created — climate change, over population, religious fanatacism — we need the mental muscle of everyone. Leaders who leverage variety — finding it energizing to work the gears of a 27-speed team (remember when you only had foot breaks and one gear!) are working their inner beta.
If the five attributes above resonate with you — then now is your time; today’s complex and demanding world, your oyster. You still may be called upon to make a tough call now and then — to cut bait on a project (or person) for example. Leadership agility is not an either/or proposition. But navigating the turbulent seas of organizational life calls for betas to rise up and claim your space — our future as a species may just depend on it.
