Dana Maor is a senior partner at McKinsey & Company. He is the global leader and European leader of the McKinsey People & Organizational Performance Practice.
Hans-Werner Kaas is a co-host of McKinsey & Company’s CEO leadership program, Bower Forum. He is an emerging senior partner at McKinsey and works with and advises CEOs and leaders in many industry sectors around the world.
Kurt Strovink leads a special campaign for McKinsey & Company’s CEO around the world. He is a senior partner with experience in CEO transition and the CEO’s role as founder.
Ramesh Srinivasan is a senior partner at McKinsey & Company and director of McKinsey’s Bower Forum.
Below, the contributors share five key insights from their new book, The Leadership Journey: How CEOs Learn to Lead From the Inside Out. Listen to the audio version—read by Maor and Srinivasan—on the Next Big Idea app.
1. Leaders must think of who they are as much as what they want to do
Many successful leaders have guessed the codewhat to do. Few, however, spend time learning who they are as leaders. This paves the way for them to thrive (rather than survive), reach their full potential, and lead their organizations to continued success.
In this age of constant change, challenge, and uncertainty, knowing what to do is not enough. Effective leadership requires a balance of humility, vulnerability, and self-sacrifice. Without these characteristics, leaders may not be effective in motivating their teams and promoting a healthy organizational culture.
Leaders must engage in continuous self-evaluation to understand their values, strengths, and weaknesses. Self-reflection is not a privilege or an indulgence; works for the organization. It is important to find a way to think about your desires and opportunities for growth. It could be a mindfulness practice like meditation or creating a group of trusted advisors.
We recommend leaders to create a personal commitment program to motivate their team and show commitment. Leaders who take an internal approach are better equipped to lead their teams.
2. The best leaders are vulnerable
Courage and showing vulnerability—sharing hopes, fears, and anxieties—are part of being a true leader. It builds trust and fosters a culture of openness and continuous learning. An organization built on internal trust is also likely to have trust in customers and stakeholders.
The speed and resilience of an organization is not possible if leaders are not empowered by trust to take action. When leaders demonstrate humility and authenticity, team members feel safe to take risks and innovate. Accepting failure turns mistakes into valuable learning opportunities, which improve resilience and adaptability. The most successful leaders don’t pretend they have all the answers. They, too, are constantly learning and growing.
In our letter, Reeta Roy of the Mastercard Foundation shares a critical moment that changed the Foundation’s relationship with a partner organization. When Reeta decided to focus the organization’s mission solely on Sub-Saharan Africa, she spent months talking to community members in four countries to learn about the obstacles people face. In a meeting with a partner organization, the leader of the organization interrupted the discussion to address a communication problem that was causing a damaging dynamic. Reeta realized that their important foundation of trust was in jeopardy, so she apologized without hesitation and committed to making a change. This simple act set a new standard for the Foundation’s engagement and led to expanded collaboration with African organizations to address youth unemployment.
3. Being a great leader is a dance with the ability to navigate different environments and balance competing responsibilities
Leadership needs to balance vulnerability and authenticity with confidence and making tough decisions. A dancer’s discipline and intelligence are required. Leaders must balance certainty and openness, financial performance and stakeholder needs, short-term goals and long-term aspirations, and control with curiosity and empowerment. They must be humble but decisive, vulnerable but firm, cautious but courageous, and forgiving but demanding.
One basic argument is about how leaders approach the need to be professional and the need to be authentic. The way out is not to resolve the conflict but to keep it equal, to be seen as both qualified (adapting to external norms and expectations)againauthentic (corresponding to intrinsic and extrinsic values and vulnerability).
Great people-centered leaders cultivate dual awareness, paying equal attention to their internal knowledge and their external context and always choosing to adapt to the times.
4. The digital age requires more flexible leadership
Leaders must commit to lifelong learning as technology advances. A culture of flexibility and innovation is essential to stay competitive in the digital environment.
In a world increasingly driven by data and algorithms, connecting with people on a human level will be essential to navigating emotional and behavioral issues that are out of control. A human touch in leadership can ensure that technology enhances, not diminishes, the workplace experience.
Human focus brings up very difficult questions: How do I manage my time, and what gives me energy? How do I motivate my team? How do I remove organizational culture?
5. Control is an illusion
Effective leadership involves letting go of control and trusting others. Prioritize tasks that only leaders can do and delegate to others, fostering a culture of autonomy. Today’s best leaders understand that they must listen and connect the dots throughout the organization. They create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute, which is essential in today’s dynamic and connected world.
The tendency of business leaders is to bring their technology and brains to the world. They must also think about how they can create an environment that allows the entire organization to successfully meet their hopes and aspirations. The delicate balance between control and autonomy is exemplified in CEO Wendy Kopp’s journey to scale Teach for America globally to create Teach All. On the eve of announcing the expansion, he was full of doubts about raising the bar in the fledgling, expanding organization. Wendy had to learn to let go of control and trust local leaders to adapt the program to their unique circumstances while sticking to core principles.
Wendy’s story is a powerful reminder that true leadership lies in empowering others, fostering a shared purpose, and embracing the collective strengths of diverse leaders. While control may be an illusion, the impact of collective leadership is real and transformative.
This article originally appeared Next Big Idea Club and reprinted with permission.
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