The move to more executive leadership roles entails a range of ‘shifts’ or changes in how we lead – it is not simply a case of doing a bit more of the same thing on a slightly bigger stage. These shifts involve changes in the way we think and make decisions, the way we behave as leaders, and underpinning this our self-awareness. This requires a psychological shift in how we understand our role and where and how we use our attention. We may have to let go of some things to achieve other [more important] things.

Executive leadership requires physical and psychological resilience. There are many reasons for this not least the high levels of demands, accountability, and uncertainty that executive leadership is there to address. And of course, part of the leadership role is to create the conditions where others can be resilient. The resilience aspect of leadership is a core capability of leaders that determines their success, and that of their organisations. One of the key elements of developing our own resilience is to be wise to the extrinsic and intrinsic risks to our resilience and seek to manage those well. We will look at the 3 main ‘shifts’ that need to take place. In addition, we will consider how the leadership context you create can support your leadership effectiveness.

The Cognitive Shift

• Strategic & Systemic thinking
• External Orientation
• Organisational Resilience

The Leadership Shift

• Emotional awareness
• Adaptability – flexing how we lead
• Delegation – creating and using capacity

The Psychological Shift

• Using one’s own mind & taking the ‘third position’
• Dis-identification and new attachments
• Personal resilience

About Jolyon Morris

Jolyon Morris is an organisational consultant and psychoanalytic psychotherapist. He has provided consultation to organisations, leaders and managers for 20 + years and prior to that held senior leadership roles in manufacturing and commercial businesses.

There will be an online follow up session on Zoom on Friday 20 January 2023, 10 am -12.00 pm. 

This session is for VNET members only.