It was in a small village, and I was strolling along the cobblestones, deep in conversation with a former world leader who led his country for several years. Suddenly, he shifted his gaze across the street to a woman with a caneâwalking slowly and looking around as if confused. Immediately, he went over to her, leaned down, and listened intently. Putting his hand gently on her shoulder, he led her in a different direction. There was no pretense or performance by someone who for years had been in the spotlight of the global stage. He had transformed into a kind stranger, showing up with empathy for another. And thatâs especially true in todayâs world as organizations toggle between perform and transform. As leaders, itâs what we must do. The question, though, is how. The answer? Vertical is out, horizontal is in. For individuals and organizations, vertical is the pastâdriving results and relationships up and down the ladder. Today, itâs all about a horizontal, enterprise-focused approachâcascading connect [Black Korn Ferry logo JPG 400.png]() It was in a small village, and I was strolling along the cobblestones, deep in conversation with a former world leader who led his country for several years. Suddenly, he shifted his gaze across the street to a woman with a caneâwalking slowly and looking around as if confused. Immediately, he went over to her, leaned down, and listened intently. Putting his hand gently on her shoulder, he led her in a different direction. There was no pretense or performance by someone who for years had been in the spotlight of the global stage. He had transformed into a kind stranger, showing up with empathy for another. And thatâs especially true in todayâs world as organizations toggle between perform and transform. As leaders, itâs what we must do. The question, though, is how. The answer? Vertical is out, horizontal is in. For individuals and organizations, vertical is the pastâdriving results and relationships up and down the ladder. Today, itâs all about a horizontal, enterprise-focused approachâcascading connections, collaboration, and communication across the lattice. Rarely does innovation simply flow top-downâit spreads horizontally. And we canât transform our organizationsâor ourselvesâin a silo. Easy to say, thoughânot so easy to do. As Stu Crandell, global leader of our firmâs CEO and Executive Assessment practice observed in a conversation we had the other day, âItâs not just as simple as leading across a matrix. Itâs how you really engage, innovate, and co-create with others.â Not surprisingly, the biggest struggle is among those who have been successful with more of a vertical or siloed mindsetâand canât quite break out. This mindset can show up in unexpected places. It was as clear as day the minute I walked into the coffee shop. A customer dressed in a suitâhis leg pumping up and down anxiously. Notes strewn across a table. A stack of resumes next to his laptop. You could just feel the tension in the air. I took a seat at the table next to his. âJob interview, huh?â âYeah,â he nodded. âAnd I really need this one.â I didnât tell him who I was. I merely listened as he started talkingâa litany of objectives and deliverables. I heard âI,â âme,â and âmyâ more times than I could count, and without a mention of the âwe,â âus,â and âourâ of being part of a team. My next question, no doubt, came out of the blue. âDo you have a picture on your phone thatâs special to you?â âMy family,â he said, showing me the screen. âThatâs what matters mostâthatâs why youâre doing this,â I reminded him. In that moment, he shifted from one to manyâin other words, from me to we. Even his countenance changedâhis posture relaxed as he described aspirations, passions, and motivations that werenât just about himself, but all about others. Itâs something we all have to remember: Weâre not auditioning for the next Netflix pilotâor performing solo on a stage. Instead, we work with and through others across the organization in roles and with perspectives that may be very different from our own. Here we find the power of affiliationâand, as our firmâs research shows, thatâs a major motivator. Itâs the emotional side of leadership that puts more value on the relational, not just the transactional. Then we can use and infuse influenceâanother big motivatorâto help spread transformation across our organization. Itâs a fact of life and leadershipâwhat got us here, wonât get us there. Itâs not enough to perform unless we simultaneously transform. Want to know more about elevating your leadership style? Check out our book, [Leadership U](). Also, our latest book, [The Five Graces of Life and Leadership](), offers imagery, emotions, and insights that capture the human side of leadership. Regards, Gary Burnison
Korn Ferry CEO [linkedIn-white.png]() [fb-white.png]() [twitter-white.png]() [yt-white.png]() [iTunes-white.png]() [Korn Ferry]()
[Korn Ferry Institute]()
[Contact Us]()
This email was sent to you to market Korn Ferry services. Please click [here]() to update your email preferences or unsubscribe from our announcements and promotional communications. You may continue to receive transactional emails such as registration confirmations, product updates, and responses to your direct requests. Korn Ferry | 1900 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1500 | Los Angeles, CA 90067 U.S.A. © 2024 Korn Ferry. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]().