Our very literal interpretation of the word ‘hierarchy’, and within that the function of leadership, that we see deployed in most organisations misses the true essence of hierarchical responsibility which is much more profound than status, authority over, personal power or control.
One of these more profound aspects is the responsibility a leader has to translate – to translate ideas, concepts, possibilities, knowledge and wisdom so that a bridge can be built that enables the growth of many.
The difficulty with our distorted, or we might say one dimensional application of the notion of hierarchy is that all too often we see that many leaders have a subconscious (or conscious) resistance to helping others around them to grow or to really nurturing their potential. Why? Often because it’s about protection of position in the system. In many cases, we want others to take on more but not to become a threat to the status quo.
The practice of translation – making ideas, knowledge and wisdom more accessible so that they can be understood, is a vital part of true leadership. Everyday we have the opportunity to share what we know and see or sense in an accessible way – not by being patronising, or superior but in all humility to offer a ‘map’, a pathway to what may have taken us years to understand or develop.
Whilst we might argue at one level there are no real shortcuts to wisdom, the reality is that each generation builds on the previous and so the new ‘neural pathways’ (and indeed literal pathways) that each generation spends decades carving out do in fact enable a speedier passage for those coming after.
When we choose to mentor someone or ‘take someone under our wing’ we are engaging in this practice of translation – seeking to help the person find their way more easily and quickly on the back of our previous wayfinding. This is both a generous act and one that reflects the essence of leadership.
When we apply that to larger groups – whole teams, whole organisations and nations, that responsibility to educate, translate and render more accessible, insights and information that we have already assimilated we now start to elevate whole communities, and this is definitely a responsibility of all true leaders. Done from a place of love and sisterhood/brotherhood, from a place of oneness, it sees the true light of leadership shining.
It demonstrates that we are secure in ourselves and not fearful of being usurped in our place in the hierarchy as we share our wisdom. It changes the whole nature of application of hierarchy because at its core is a servant leader. Someone who knows their place is to support, serve and enable the whole system to fulfil its potential – building bridges through translation of ideas, concepts and wisdom.