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The traditional approach to leadership is best described as the pursuit and maintenance of power over people. However, this isn’t the most effective method. The “leading through” paradigm engages middle managers and employees of all levels so that leadership is a collaborative effort which leaves everyone feeling valued, seen, and in turn, more motivated. In the leading through paradigm, the soul, heart, and mind of leadership are three dimensions in one. Without the mind, the soul and heart may produce commitment and engagement but struggle to mobilize it in the right direction. And without the soul and heart, the mind may gravitate towards the “power over” paradigm. Anyone who wants to do the work of leadership — and do it well — must attend to, and learn to lead with, their own soul, heart and mind.
In their new book, Leading Through: Activating the Soul, Heart, and Mind of Leadership (Harvard Business Review Press), former dean of Harvard Business School Kim Clark, his son, Jonathan, a professor of management at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his daughter, Erin, a management consultant, call for the end of a power-focused leadership model and introduce a new approach: the “leading through” paradigm. This new leadership model consciously seeks to do good and to make things better; cares for people, helping them to thrive; and mobilizes people to solve tough problems. These three elements, they argue, are the soul, heart, and mind of leadership — and activating them requires careful attention to both the personal and the organizational dimensions of leadership. The following is a lightly edited excerpt from their book.
