Flexible Leadership Driven by the 3C's

It's often not what a leader does but rather how they do it that makes the most impact. While some are, take charge in your face and others are content to play an off-stage role and work behind the scenes, all 21st Century Leaders should be driven by the 3Cs: context, circumstance and consequence. Leaders need to be flexible and apply a leadership style that fits the situation. Considering context, circumstance and consequence is a good way for a leader to determine how involved to be and what style to employ. Here are some guidelines:

1. Figure out the context. Leaders need to the know the back story, that is, what happened before they arrived on the scene. Sometimes it requires digging and asking lots of questions. For leaders of long tenure, knowing the context is second-nature. They live it every day. Knowledge of the situation and its context sets the stage for what the leader does next.

2. Circumstance – the current situation–determines your degree of involvement. Crisis calls for bold actions. For example, if a new marketing program fails to generate sufficient awareness, the chief marketing officer should handle the situation. If multiple marketing initiatives fails, the Leader needs to find a solution quickly. He or she should take charge and find a new senior marketing executive.

3. Consequence is what happens when a leader acts. With apologies to Sir Isaac Newton, every leadership action does not have an equal and opposite reaction. Very often a Leader's decision is designed to turn the enterprise around or keep it on course; a front-line manager’s decisions are the equivalent of trimming the sails. A Leader who makes too many decisions not only creates lots of activity, specifically churn, they can also undermines the authority of other senior leaders.

Employing a style or knowing how and when to get involved comes with experience. New leaders are eager to put their stamp on their tenure and often unloose a bundle of initiatives. Too often many fail because the organization was unprepared, or more precisely the context and circumstance were not right. Getting the balance – hands on versus hands off – right does not come overnight but by paying attention to context, circumstance and consequence a leader can learn to get it right.

How have you found the right balance? Have you successfully used the 3C's in attaining flexible leadership?