The lie of the Lone Wolf Leader

Our current status quo that seems so built-in to the “way things are” is actually an anomaly in the history of our species.

The vision of the lone wolf leader fearlessly charging ahead with “the answer” is just as anomalous as our current state of ongoing #polycrises.

This is part two of our two-part series on connected leadership.

It’s been said so much as to become a cliché, but our future lies in, and is contingent on, our ability to work together, particularly in light of the climate and ecological emergency we’re all going to have to face sooner or later.

In fact, that’s where our past lies too. The universe is built on interdependence, from quantum entanglement to mycelial networks to the societal networks we’ve built throughout the millennia.

Our current status quo that seems so built-in to the “way things are” is actually an anomaly in the history of our species.

Is it any wonder so many of us feel disconnected, lost in the mess, unsure of what to do next, or how to navigate the consequences of the #polycrises we see around us?

When the consensus reality keeps reinforcing the narrative that we’re all ultimately alone, that the individual is inherently disconnected and separate from the world around them, and that change has historically been accomplished by the “Great Men of History”, it’s only natural to forget that our legacy as a species is something far different.

Of course, we certainly understand why this mythos and leadership style endures, even though there is widespread acceptance that something different is needed.  We know it can be incredibly hard for actions to follow intentions – especially when certain (outdated, ultimately unhelpful) behaviours are so engrained and rewarded in our culture. Not to mention how easy it is to fall back into familiar, old patterns under stress (based on a belief perhaps, that since this is an emergency, the ends justify the means).

And so, the “lone wolf” persists. We at LTS have certainly felt that sense of isolation, and we hear similar feedback from the people we work with. And of course, everything has a tendency to become amplified as we try to lead through this fast-approaching future. After all, if you’re the “leader”, you’re supposed to know what to do, right?

Well, maybe. But for us, that vision of the lone wolf leader fearlessly charging ahead with “the answer” is just as anomalous as our current state of ongoing #polycrises.

What if “the answer”, in so far as there is one, lies instead in connection, collaboration, and in exploring the possibilities inherent in our current situation with other like-souled leaders? What if, instead of trying to work away at this in our own little isolated pockets, we were able to come together in community and co-explore a way forward?

What might that look like in your life, or in your organisation? How would it change your behaviours, your thoughts, your support system, if you showed up with a commitment to catalysing generative relationships and experimentation? (Or perhaps you’re already doing that?) In short, what might it look like if you led in community?

These are all the kinds of questions we’re exploring together at LTS.

Because ultimately, no one knows exactly what’s going to happen. We certainly don’t. But we do believe that we have a better chance of finding our way together, rather than separately.

If that appeals to you, we’d love to come along with you and support you.

If you’d like to explore what meaningful leadership looks like for you this year, book a discovery call with one of us or contact us at info@leadingthroughstorms.org.

And, if you’d like to engage in some hands-on exploration of what leadership in community feels like, join us for a FREE afternoon of nourishing connection with fellow leaders in London on 27th June.

Or simply please leave a comment below.