What is connective leadership?

Old, autocratic, command-and-control forms of leadership can feel increasingly out of step in an integrated and changing environment.

Connective leadership is about searching for commonalities and common ground, with the aim of forming successful, effective communities, businesses and organisations.

If you are a connective leader, or would like to become one, consider the following characteristics.

Characteristics of a connective leader

Connective leaders:

1. Can emerge in any layer of an organisation or business, or may be self-employed or part of a community.
2. See the connections among different people, ideas and institutions, even when the parties themselves do not.
3. Dedicate themselves to the purpose of the group, rather than to their own status.
4. Are willing to have choices and decisions scrutinised in order to achieve accountability.
5. Think long-term, but act short-term.
6. Strive to reach out to long-standing adversaries, neighbouring constituencies and competitors.
7. Set aside differences for the bigger benefits that partnership, community and collaboration can bring.
8. Search for meaning. They are keen to change the world for the better and are aware of the bigger picture.
9. Encourage action and deal constructively with interdependence and diversity.

Connective leaders offer us a way forward in times of community cutbacks, job insecurity and global migration. Accountability to others and trusting relationships are encouraged over silo thinking and parochial attitudes.

The importance of coaching for connective leaders

There are leaders in the UK already carving a confident and successful path through the potential pitfalls and barriers to collaborative working. However, new and emerging leaders may benefit from coaching, especially in the early stages.

There can be great benefits for a connective leader in having regular one-to-one sessions to reflect, plan and act. Without this undisturbed space with a professional coach, the expectations of collaborative leadership can feel overwhelming.