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Collaboration is key to innovation and risk mitigation. While it may seem easier to flock with birds of the same feather, research shows that including, acknowledging, and listening to alternative viewpoints results in a stronger leader and more resilient organization.
The North American meadow is a beautiful example of collaboration. Flowers mix and blend, supporting each other through various growth phases. The prickly protect the sweet while the woody stemmed flora provide a place for ivies to grow. The ultimate impact is a beautiful visual image that is teeming with life.
Taking a collaborative approach to leadership results in much of the same impact: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In collaborative leadership, diverse viewpoints are
- sought out,
- included, and
- valued.
Think of the Thistle, a prickly tall grower that produces only one flower at its top. In powerfully innovative and collaborative organizations, instill a "naysayer" into each meeting. This person's role is actively look for negatives in a suggestion. The person is not meant to be a negative person, rather, their ability to identify gaps is powerful tool in risk mitigation.
Hot tip: the person on your team who may have ADHD or demonstrate ADHD tendencies is prime for this role the first time you try to create a Thistle position. The ADHD brain is primed for looking at inconsistencies and identifying problems.
In a Collaborative Leadership organization, the role of the thistle rotates amongst the team members in order to garner different viewpoints. When you are assigning roles for large meetings, have you considered including a Thistle?
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