By Steven C. Burrell
Part 4: Balancing the Quantum Leadership Equation
The human spirit is something that must triumph over technology – Albert Einstein
It can be challenging to understand Quantum Leadership because it is radically different from traditional Newtonian methods and theories. Quantum thinking is whole-brain thinking that synthesizes and synchronizes the IQ, EQ, and SQ aspects of intelligence. When Quantum leaders leverage their quantum thinking to solve problems and forms strategies for action, they use what might be called total intelligence (Zohar, 2012).
The following table compares Quantum and Newtonian leadership points of view:
Table 2: Quantum vs. Newtonian Leadership
Quantum Leadership | Newtonian Leadership |
Facilitate relationships between work and workers at every organizational level. | Manage individual activities, functions, and work/job obligations |
Panoramic view of intersections, relationships, and evolving themes | Myopic, narrow, singular, and linear thinking. |
Build Intrinsic motivations | Manage Extrinsic motivations |
The process of decision making | The outcomes of decision making |
Measurement for constructing some part of reality, not the total of it. | Limited to the quantitative and empirical methods of Newtonian principles to determine reality. |
Awareness of relatedness of processes, actions, behaviors, and functions. | Cause-effect dependence of one thing upon another, but not the reverse. |
Understanding the thematic trajectory of change and embracing the vagaries of complexity and chaos into processes of anticipating the future. | Planning to the greatest detail and controlling execution to elicit intended outcomes. |
Describe change with language that connects workers to the value and meaningfulness of their efforts. | Invoke change to create itemized plans and steps independent of individual contributors. |
Understanding that all human dynamics, transformation and reproduction, and change and stability are intrinsically intertwined. | Emphasis on rational and operational science skills and functions at the expense of insight, intuition, and feeling. |
Thinking about teams of intrinsically motivated individuals with a shared purpose to a meaningful outcome. | Thinking about humans as resources to execute a determined process and as a means to an end. |
The realization that too much structure is an enemy of work and effectiveness. | Over-dependence on organization, rules, and structures to control work and effectiveness. |
Knowing the limits of data/ information and incorporating intuition and spiritual intelligence to make decisions. | Over-dependence on information to make decisions. |
They formulate many scenarios for what the future might hold, encourage questions and experiments, and embrace appropriate risk. | Formulate against a known future scenario or presumed outcome, seek data that supports our current view, and avoid risk. |
Recognized the complementary aspects of the paradox | Only recognize the contradictions in paradox. |
An affection for legitimate risk and the boundaries of agreement and understanding. | Mitigating risk and keeping within boundaries. |
Recognize the power of informal networks of people and use them in conjunction with other formal constructs. | Rely exclusively on formal networks and organizational constructs as sources of information and action. |
Further exploration of Quantum Leadership is examined across the following principles, ideas, and applications of quantum thinking:
The Whole is Greater than the Sum of the Parts
The quantum leader evolves their practice from the inside out and through the practiced application of IQ+EQ+SQ to achieve QT. Newtonian linear thinking limits are replaced by relational, systems, and spiritual thinking. Quantum leaders tap into broader information fields by fostering broad and diverse engagement and bringing their whole self to the leadership role.
Dimensions beyond Servant Leadership
Quantum leaders extend the Newtonian servant-leadership mindset towards a more profound sense of the interconnectedness of life, engagement, and responsibility. A sense of service is based on humility, love, and a sense of a deep, abiding passion for and commitment to service. Quantum CIOs in our educational institutions feel called upon to serve a greater purpose, to improve humanity through education, performance, and discovery as a means of creating prosperity for all living things. They instill this same sense of intrinsic alignment and passion with others throughout the organization and among those they serve.
Have Multi-Dimensional Vision
Quantum leaders cast a vision based on values that are appreciated and felt spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. They evoke our human potential by directing all people to goals shared by individuals. They connect a sense of purpose and passion to their vision and introduce intuitive practices that can provide the opportunity to build a more engaged and innovative workforce both internally and in partnership with external stakeholders.
Build leadership at all levels
In Quantum Leadership, every individual/particle is assumed to exist as both a leader and a follower. Individuals behave, as in the case of wave-particle duality, manifest as “both.” Quantum Leadership pays attention to performing better in the organization and preserving/guarding personal interests. Their leadership is an extension of human goodness that is part of the fabric of the universe.
Build Multi-Dimensional Engagement
Quantum Leadership is based on communication, dialog, and interaction, which produce the invisible energy that binds the organization. The invisible energy includes spiritual principles. There is a direct correlation between the sharing of these principles and organizations’ ability to accelerate success. Quantum leaders strive for fully informed decisions by extending data collection and synthesizing knowledge by listening to and empowering team members.
Seek Opportunity in Chaos
Quantum leaders thrive at the edge of chaos and embrace uncertainty’s potential outcomes. Quantum leaders understand that increasing complexity and rapid transformation are related to dynamic and unstable processes. Creative disorder brings out valuable opportunities for improving performance, learning, adaptation, and innovation. They create agility and the ability to quickly adapt to changing situations and push the edge of boundaries, and reinvent the rules;
Anticipate Change and are Proactive
Quantum leaders must be creative and strategic, possess curiosity and open-mindedness, lead and manage change proactively, stay ahead of the market, and compete. It requires the ability to carry out insightful analyses to anticipate change, develop innovative strategies and business models, and be capable of strategic integration to execute those strategies. Such leaders must be proactive and capable of driving strategic thinking while remaining prudent. They also need to have a “hands-on” frontline presence.
Help others Embrace Change
Quantum leaders inspire others not just to survive but thrive in chaos. They help organizations to deal effectively with disruptive change and cultivate the ability to recognize and adapt to it in ways that create positive economic, social, and environmental value. They facilitate education that increases intellectual energy and fosters experimentation which creates the courage to fail. Personal growth through learning and courage allows whole organizations to build new relationships, think beyond the boundaries, and consider alternate realities.
Embrace the Power of Diversity
Complex adaptive systems in nature thrive on diversity, and quantum leaders are adept at unleashing the power of diversity. Recent research has revealed that bringing together people with cognitive and identity diversity can improve performance on complex tasks or difficult problems (Page, 2017). In the context of Quantum Leadership and organizations, diversity builds on cognitive and identity diversity to consider many other dimensions of diversity. The quantum leaders celebrate differences illuminated through the interactions of diversity to broaden our understanding, challenge assumptions, embrace humility, and learn to appreciate that diversity gives a rich chorus of inner voices, intuition, creativity, and growth. In nature, homogeneous systems are very stable but slow to adapt. Quantum leaders poised at the edge of chaos hold homogeneity and diversity in a critical balance.
Value the Journey
In Quantum Leadership, the processes are indeterministic. Answers only qualify the ways to reach reality. The real meaning and value of Quantum Leadership are in the search for answers, rather than just finding answers. The journey itself is a meaningful outcome.
Foster a Culture of Connectedness
To do all this, CIOs must build an organizational culture in ways of forging connectedness that is part of the institution’s “way of doing things.” At its most fundamental level, this requires a heightened consciousness of connectedness to see the world from a broad, relational, and loving perspective.
Summary
Quantum Leadership differs from Newtonian era models. It incorporates the whole self, iQ + EQ + SQ, to elicit an organization based on intrinsic motivations and a collective sense of purpose for good. Quantum leaders drive leadership as far down into the organization as possible and rely on trust-based relationships, connectedness, and spontaneous teaming to solve complex problems. Those who pursue Quantum Leadership find greater purpose and meaning by pursuing positive social impact (Laszlo, 2016).
Part five will examine some ideas and activities for developing our Quantum Leadership skills.
Reflection Questions
- Which of the Quantum Leadership attributes seem easy for you to incorporate into your leadership?
- Which of the quantum attributes do you think you could work on developing further?
- If you employed more quantum attributes into your leadership style, how might it benefit or change the organization for the better?
- How might others in your sphere of influence benefit from incorporating or experiencing Quantum Leadership?
References in this Section
Zohar, D. (2016). The Quantum Leader: A Revolution in Business Thinking and Practice. United States: Prometheus Books.
Zohar, D. (2005), Spiritual ıntelligent leadership. Leaders to Leader, 38, 45-55. Available at: https://profitune.com/spiritually-intelligent-leadership/
Zohar, D., & Marshall, I. N. (2000). SQ: Spiritual intelligence: the ultimate intelligence. London: Bloomsbury.
Zohar, D. (nd). The Systems Thinker. Spiritual intelligence: A new paradigm for collaborative action. Available at: https://thesystemsthinker.com/spiritual-intelligence-a-new-paradigm-for-collaborative-action/