Between the banality and the alchemy  - Blair McPherson

A Chief Executive sets the tone for an organisation. This can have an unintended  negative effect on the organisations culture if the way they go about the mundane aspects of the role ignores  ethics and empathy in favour of pragmatism and the bottom line. Alternatively a Chief Executive can act as an Alchemist transforming an organisation simply by the example they set and the way they approach the every day tasks of leadership. 

 

 

The banality of leadership.

 

 "The banality of leadership" is a warning that even without malicious intent, leaders can cause significant harm. How the seemingly small, everyday choices leaders make like failing to question a harmful policy, not holding a team member accountable, too accepting of convenient explanations and unwilling to admit to not understanding the technical stuff sets a harmful precedent. Add a lack of insight into how their behaviour effects others, an absence of empathy and a tendency to put pragmatism above values and the result is a very negative culture. 

 

The Alchemist 

 

Just as alchemists sought to turn base metals into gold, an alchemist leader transforms people, challenges people and organisations to reach their highest potential. This type of leader understands how their behaviour affects others and they act on this insight to make themselves more effective. 

 

The phrase between the banality and the alchemy captures how managers and leaders who fail to challenge, who fail to ask the right questions who have little insight into how their behaviour effects others can do great harm to the organisations culture. It identifies that those who are willing to adhere to a clear set of values, understand how their behaviour effects  others and use this insight , coupled with an understanding of those they lead can transform an organisation . At the same time referring to alchemy conveys how difficult the task is and that to work it requires that hard to define something extra - a mysterious ingredient. 

 

Blair McPherson former Director author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.uk