Articulating the Vision - Role#5 - Part 1

Welcome back to the second season where we continue to explore Neocharismatic Leadership roles that transform the organization. In this episode, we will discuss role #5 ‘Articulating the Vision’. Here are some key ideas to consider while you are listening. 

1-      How articulation has been part of previous roles. 

2-      Articulation is part of the communication strategy in any organization and should be thought of carefully and planned with a leader’s involvement 

3-      Neocharismatic Leaders always have the vision to articulate, and it gets defined as more formulations with others taking place.  

4-      Articulation has few forms: (1) Spoken and verbal, (2) Written, (3) Gestures and ques, (4) Physical spaces and artifacts, (5) Communicatee involvement, and (6) Personal leadership actions. 
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Transcript

Introducer: 0:03

Welcome to this podcast series on Neo charismatic leadership with author, leadership expert and coach Dr. Ghadah Angawi. And executive leader Martin Hedley, where they will both explore the recently published book, Neo charismatic leadership and the coaching topics it covers.

Martin Hedley: 0:30

Welcome back everyone, gather and I hope you enjoyed some time out over our summer break a rather unusual one with the pandemic, we're restarting our podcasts second series where we look at the remainder of the 10 behavioural roles of the new charismatic leader. And we will publish these podcasts at roughly two week intervals commencing today. So by way of a quick summary, we covered the first four roles in series one, we discussed the research considered what it means each of us as near charismatic leaders. And we gave you plenty of examples of how we and others have used the roles in leadership positions. We've asked our listeners to send in their questions or examples through the website. And we've been covering their questions in these podcasts and we can continue to do so. Also the even numbered podcasts cover the situation in larger organisations where the odd numbered podcast tend to focus on entrepreneurial and community based leadership. So Ghadah would you like to tell us where we'll be starting?

Ghadah Angawi: 1:28

Yes, I'd like to add my welcome back to those of you who have been with us during the first episode series also to welcome new subscribers who may be listening for the first time today. So in this episode, we will discuss roll five, in the second stage, when a new charismatic leader formulates a shared vision, they usually start articulating it much earlier than we think they articulate from the beginning from assessing the environment role one, but what they articulate is a broader sense of what it would look like in their own way of seeing it without the details and allowing others to input into it later on. So they articulate the sense of it, the direction of it, if you know what I mean. And I don't know if that is something you have seen in your experiences. Would you not agree, Martin, that leaders would want to articulate a specific vision, but they refrain, because they want to allow others to bring in their own perspective into it. But nevertheless, they do articulate it. Right?

Martin Hedley: 2:37

Yes, that's true that all the leadership stages that we've covered in the first series have led up to this particular role articulating the vision. So by using the word articulating, what we're talking about is sort of expanding on explaining etc, etc. And you're in the first stages of leadership, what is usually signal is simply the goal. So the new charismatic leader will establish the goal right at the beginning, and then they'll speak to their followers, their supporters, their perhaps their detractors, they will speak to a lot of people, and they will find out how people feel about that goal. And so as a result of that, the leader may actually be redeveloping the purpose and the goal a little bit as they go along. So what you've done is you've said, Okay, we're going to go here, but I want to hear what everybody thinks about going there is, is that the right place? And how did they think we can get there? Is it possible or is it not? And then, once you have established a relationship with people, and they, they're virtually ready to go, that is the time you have to articulate the vision in much more detail, because now you're going to give people assistance as to how to go there.

Ghadah Angawi: 3:58

Yeah, so you really have gained their trust first, and have established connection with them and their needs.

Martin Hedley: 4:05

Yes, in fact, when you think about it, this can actually only happen if the leader has laid out the vision in general at the beginning, because we spoke at the last series about how the development of the vision actually is a cyclical process. It goes out to the people, it comes back to the leader, it goes back out to the people and comes back to the leader and is constantly refined. So really, if you start by articulating a vision in detail, you're not being a leader, what you're really doing, you're being a manager, you're telling people what to do, that's not going to work. You know, typically the vision is going to be quite woolly and undefined at the beginning. The specific goal may be quite clear, but sort of how one gets there is going to be very flexible. And so in the first few roles, we talked about how the leader collaborates with others to improve the quality of the understanding of that vision. The vision itself then becomes refined by everybody, the idea of fact and then spread, okay, so other people are having their own ideas about the vision, but what they're all doing really is talking about it and coming to a consensus as to what it should be. Yes.

Ghadah Angawi: 5:15

And this takes time doesn't take, there's nothing that you can rush or try to speed through, it does take time for people to talk about things like this, and you need to provoke it. As a leader, you need to stimulate that kind of conversation, continuous conversation,

Martin Hedley: 5:33

absolutely true. Because if you don't continue to stimulate, it will die. And because it involves change, and change is not always comfortable for everybody. But secondly, if you don't stimulate it, you don't get the kind of quality discussion among followers that is required for them to get a really good understanding of where you're going. I mean, theoretically, you would want everybody to have exactly the same understanding. although in reality, you don't you you want a little bit of flexibility in there. So you can discover things and you can learn about mistakes, but generally speaking, but getting that buy in getting that consensus can be a six to nine month project in a big area. So you simply couldn't get to the point of articulating the vision until you've been through that long period of time.

Ghadah Angawi: 6:21

Yeah, that's very true. You're talking about people speaking about their values, agreeing on common values that they believe in, and that the organisation believes in. So you're actually turning the culture around. But at the same time, you're allowing people to experiment with these values, whether it is it's what they want, or whether it's something different that they want. And in that process, the vision unfolds, and we spoke about formulating a shared vision enrol for, but now we are talking about articulation. So the articulation is not necessarily something that happens after it can be also in the process itself. And actually, sometimes it happens even before the leader takes a step forward into declaring a decision or even being appointed. In one of the cases I have witnessed. There was this leader who told me that in the appointment process, after the first interview, they were asked to deliver a presentation of how would this place look like if they were to be the leader of that place. And they did prepare that presentation and gave it and later when I interviewed one of the members in the interviewing committee, I think it was a governor, Board of Trustees, he told me that the way that this leader presented, how they are going to transform the organisation and turn things around was the most convincing factor for the committee to appoint them. And thus, they actually articulated a vision, but it was their vision. Nevertheless, it was flexible enough to incorporate different possibilities, and different players. And the transformation process.

Martin Hedley: 8:11

Yes, this, this is a very interesting example. So you have a leader that hasn't really joined the organisation yet. And you know, they're trying to basically sell themselves to the organisation to say, I can lead this. So they have to lay out a vision. The interesting thing is, of course, if you're interviewing or if you're doing your first presentation, it doesn't actually have to be perfectly correct, does it? It just has to be compelling. It just has to fit with what the people want to achieve. But it's more than a signal. We're saying that in the early stages, the new cosmetic leader signals the vision, this is an articulation because it was a presentation and it was required. Right?

Ghadah Angawi: 8:51

Exactly, yes. And this is exactly what the leader is doing. They are actually showcasing the vision in a way that inspires people motivates people speaks to their emotions. And I think it's not about the words they speak, it's about how they are able to stimulate the emotions of others. They're passionate definitely about that vision. So they talk about it in a way that sends a message

Martin Hedley: 9:19

indeed. So it's hard to get anybody's attention. If you want people to follow you, it's hard to get anybody's attention. If the leader themselves is not passionate about the vision or the change, whatever it is, after all, you know, a new vision implies change implies something different. And this may even be something quite radical to the initial list. So at some point, the listener makes up their mind, okay, this is scary, or this is easy, or this is hard, but still worthwhile. Each of us is making our own judgement on it based on the way it's impacting us from our perspective. And so then, of course, that's when we leave To start the collaboration to try and qualify and quantify and, and make sure that the vision is correct, but then once that's done, the articulation needs to be in detail, because the followers themselves, hopefully by that time have developed some level of passion towards the same goal. But the most important thing is, of course, the near charismatic leader must already be convinced this is the right thing at the beginning.

Ghadah Angawi: 10:25

Yes. So it's a matter of intention. And that is their first mean of articulating the vision, what they have inside them, they're compelled to do that. And the second one is related to the actions they take in the first four roles, because this is the fifth role, by assessing the environment by sensing people's needs by thinking about how to challenge the status quo. By formulating the shared vision with the people, all these four roles, speaks volume, about what is their vision, first, who they are, what they believe in. And most importantly, it sends a message to the organisation that I believe in this organisation, and that it will pull itself past this transformation. And I also trust the ability of people to transcend beyond the work load and the work chores of everyday the tasks, the deliverables, into making a culture that supports that change. And that transformation. This alone in itself is an articulation.

Martin Hedley: 11:34

Yes, it is. Because change can be threatening, and people will pick up on every verbal behavioural and emotional clue that you give out. And perhaps even more so when they're unsure or scared. So it's absolutely true, the leader really needs to think about how they're expressing it in every medium, whether it's video, audio, text, it doesn't really matter.

Ghadah Angawi: 11:57

Then the third way of articulation is the spoken words, which is how strong the charismatic leaders across history have mobilised people into action have won them over, you can actually move mountains by inspiring and motivating people, if you are careful. And you're crafting your speeches, and addressing emotions, this word jumps to minds, when we say articulation, people immediately think about a leader giving a speech. But you know, we're trying to show that it's not just the speech, it has to be something internal the intentions, and then it's the actions. And then comes the words or the speech. The thing is some leaders are reserved, shy introverts, they don't make noise, you don't see them running around and talking loudly. So not necessarily for new charismatic leaders to be loud, to be visible. But it's enough for them to craft their speech in a way it could be so short, they could become, but they could bring tears to your eyes. And I have also witnessed that in my research, and in my work as a coach.

Martin Hedley: 13:09

Yes, it doesn't have to be somebody who, you know, has just walked off the Hollywood stage at all. This is somebody whose passion and confidence is providing reassurance to the followers. And to me, it's an absolute must for the leader.

Ghadah Angawi: 13:23

Yes. And it's comforting, because a lot of people think, Oh, I can't be a charismatic leader, because I'm not that personality. No, you can be a new charismatic leader, even if you're shy, even if you're quiet.

Martin Hedley: 13:37

Yes, you can. Yes, that's exactly true. And one of the ways that they can do it, although I would recommend any leader do this is that it goes beyond the initial speech. For the initial announcement, the written words need to permeate all internal communications from now one internal corporate videos, for example, need to start to replay the message. It needs to surround everybody so that they feel that there's a sense of belonging and a sense of movement towards that direction. So again, you know, just because you're not a charismatic leader, or charismatic speaker, at least, you can still surround people with this feeling. Even if you're introverted. And you know, internal communication, of course, is extremely important in articulation, isn't it? Yeah, you

Ghadah Angawi: 14:24

have to have a communication strategy, especially when we're speaking about corporate or large organisations. So the written words also play a big factor in how the vision is crafted and read and what message it sends what sentences that are embedded in it. All these play a big role, as you've just said. So number five is the guest chairs and queues which are unspoken, is the body language. It's the way the leaders move. They said the way they talk, the way they handle time and the way they around Their meetings and the way they walk the grounds of the organisation. There is many things to say here. But the most important message is everything they do that they think might not relate to others, it sends a message. They're a role model for everything. So if they arrive early to work before everyone else, everyone will speak about how diligent they are with time. And if they stay later than everybody else, to wrap up things and prepare for the next day, it becomes impossible for other leaders in the organisations in their team, senior leadership team not to do so. And if they talk simply to simple people in the organization's with simple functions, like the security guard, or have coffee with someone who's in the front line, or just take a walk around the block, it all sends a message of humility, of humbleness, of being open, to communicate with everyone. So here's another way to articulate the vision is what is it that you do everyday, and how you do these things?

Martin Hedley: 16:08

Yes, the gestures, frankly, just mean, or they say to people, by me in business, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it with you. And that has a huge effect. And again, you don't need to be a great speaker to be able to do that, as you say, it might just be going to see somebody and having a cup of coffee with them. And that's all it takes.

Ghadah Angawi: 16:28

Yes. So I probably mentioned this, in my book, my father told me a story. And he was a great leader, a military leader, he used to walk every morning, from eight to nine, with one of his frontline soldiers just take a walk around the block, and other leaders will see him do that. But in that meeting, in that one hour, it's not only exercise that he gains, it's also establishing a relationship with a simple person, that could be just someone who's guarding the space or whose function is, you know, very simple, but also he listens to that person, and listens to what they have to say about the organisation, what are their needs, and in the same time, they give their own personal mentoring to them. So he told me this story personally, and he told it to people many times, and I have seen him solve problems that were, if it wasn't for these little walks, he wouldn't have solved across the organisation because he could see from a different perspective. So I wanted to add this story because I think it's very relevant. And I love that leaders can find ways to connect with people at different levels of the organisation. Yes,

Martin Hedley: 17:43

that's true. And you I think you also have a view on sort of the physical space within which the organisation is operating.

Ghadah Angawi: 17:51

Yes, and we are going to talk about this because it's very important that not only a leader practices, all these five things, but it's important where people feel the space is welcoming. The space allows them to connect together and to connect with the reader. In one of my stories as well. The leader had their office space in the centre of the organisation on the first floor, and the door was always open, you can see them in the meetings, if you pass by you can see them having a meeting, they intentionally kept the door open, there was an admin outside who would say Oh, he they have a meeting. But it was always like this to say to people that I am there you can come if I'm available, if I'm not in a meeting, I could see you and having their office space in the centre of the organisation sends a message to everybody that I am part of this organisation. So where is your office? is it located on the top floor? Or is it on the ground floor? Is it accessible is the door open, and the colours, the architecture, the art pieces that exists around the walls, it all sends different messages. So you can actually articulate your vision through these means

Martin Hedley: 19:08

did that I have actually seen this used to great effect. So in very large organisations where there might be lots of leaders at different levels, helping to work towards the vision, that there are spaces, you know, if you're in a tall building, there are spaces on every floor, which are designated as spaces where people are working on things related to that vision. And again, they're available to everybody. You can see them as you walk past and that it's a very, very powerful gesture you walk by and you just think it's a group of people in an office, but it's not it's putting a focus on when you're in that office. We're working on the vision and that's very important.

Ghadah Angawi: 19:46

Yes. And also how do you call your space do you call it headquarters or do you call it home office, the names you use, things are changing and people relate to you more if you can find work creative ways. calling those spaces? And the last one, it's to do with how you work with your community, whether it's internal or external, with the internal community, how much are you involved with the committees and teams. And even with the non NGO work, social responsibility work that runs through the organisation, and with the external community, the relationships you have with other businesses, with the city, with the country, even globally with other partners. These kinds of things all tell a story about who you are, and what kind of leadership and what is your vision, getting involved in the community can mean so much to the community, and they can actually support you support your business, with goodwill, and they will also understand what your vision is about you actually articulate your vision locally, or nationally and globally, through your involvement as a leader on that level. So I hope that we have covered all means of articulation. But I leave it to you now too, if you have anything else to add. Well,

Martin Hedley: 21:10

the only thing that I want to summarise here is that leaders who demonstrate their personal involvement in making the vision real in articulating it will get the fastest buy in. And if you remember nothing else, then please remember that because everywhere I've seen this, it is true. So I think we're approaching the end of our time for this podcast together. But right here, we've covered the six points all leaders should plan for in articulation division, we hope our listeners are spurred into thinking about their own articulation methods. And if they're doing enough of it to make a difference. In the next episode, we're going to continue this discussion where we're going to look at leaders of teams, small teams, entrepreneurs, and leaders in social settings, or in some cases, even individual contributors doing the same things. So thanks for listening and see you next time.

Ghadah Angawi: 21:57

Thank you. And you too. Thank you,

Introducer: 22:00

Ghadah and Martin, hope you enjoyed this episode. There is more information available at Neo charismatic leadership.org. And if you would like to discuss coaching or training for yourself or your team, you can contact Ghadah and Martin through the website. We look forward to your participation next week. Until then, goodbye