The Alchemy of Leadership

The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is littele we can do to change until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds.

-R.D Laing

Ontology is the study of the science of what it means to be human – a question that has been debated by philosophers since time immemorial and one that has fashioned a wide range of answers.  More recently, neuroscience has added a whole new dimension to this question which has confirmed much of what has been part of the ontological approach for decades.

The discipline provides a robust framework allowing us to get inside how we behave and interact in a rapidly changing world.  It involves an exploration of an individual’s interpretation of the world in daily personal and professional dealings.

It provides a solid platform for Organisational Development and Change.  It can also be applied to Executive Coaching and the process of Leading others. It is ultimately aimed at helping people navigate the complexities of organisational life while building productive, collaborative interactions within a group or team.

The deep transformational capacities inherent within Ontology can significantly expand the capabilities of individuals, teams and organisations to successfully adjust and adapt to the continual disruptive change that characterises much of today’s Digital era.

In the latter part of the twentieth century, the integration of significant developments in the fields of philosophy, anthropology, sociology, biology and linguistics produced a new discipline. This discipline brought about a coherent body of knowledge that provided a new understanding of human behaviour and human interaction. This discipline became known as Ontology. 

Initially developed by Dr. Fernando Flores, Julio Olalla and Rafael Echeverria, ontology has a robust academic foundation.  It is grounded in four academic disciplines:

• Organisational Development
• The Biology of Cognition
• The Philosophy of Language,
• Existential Philosophy

Although influenced by a number of individuals, Ontology primarily draws on the work of:

• Biologists Humberto Maturana and Francesco Varela in relation to living systems;
• Existential Philosophers Frederich Nietszche, Martin Heidegger and Hans-Georg Gadamer;
• Ludwig Wittgenstein, John Austin and John Searle in relation to the Philosophy of Language,
• Management Theorist, Prof. Chris Argyris of Harvard Business School in relation to organisational development, organisational change and learning organisations

Most developmental programme rely solely on tools and techniques to bring about change in behaviour. One of the key differentiators in the Ontological approach to Leadership is that it is comprised of different distinctions which help us to clearly differentiate between the physical (Factual) and conceptual phenomena we experience.

Armed with these distinctions we are able to continually self-correct which can help us determine whether we are on track or spinning rapidly off course.

We do not see the world as it is. We see it as we are

Anais Nin

No two people are alike. We each have our own unique way of expressing what it means to be a human being.  Our experience of life is an inner experience which is unique to each of us. We each have a subconscious structure which responds to the world in a myriad of different ways.  This structure impacts on the way we function and interact with the world.

Many of the significant issues we face in life relate to challenges to the sense of self in a personal or work context. This in turn leads to feelings of anger, anxiety, or poor self-esteem which are ultimately displayed in our actions and behaviour. Indeed, many of the stronger emotions we experience indicate a misalignment or contradiction between our actions and a deeper sense of who we authentically are.

If we are to lead authentically, conserve energy and make a valuable contribution in the world, understanding what drives our behaviour requires an awareness of what’s occurring for us at any given moment.  What’s occurring for us includes our perceptions and attitudes which encompass our stories, narratives and deeply held beliefs which become the underlying drivers of our communication and behaviour.

What’s occurring is not fixed but in a state of continual flux which is impacted by the personal or work context we find ourselves in.  It happens on three levels.

These three domains can be seen as a sort of hierarchy. Our physical body and posture predisposes our mood, which in turn predisposes our emotional responses, which then predispose our linguistic capabilities.  Collectively they make up our individual ‘way of being’ in the world at any given moment.  Our way of being is always a dynamic interrelationship between these three domains of human existence:

Small changes in each of these domains can result in the removal of significant barriers to change, and the spontaneous development of more effective patterns of communication and behaviour.

In a world fraught with change and disruption, we each recognise how important it is to adopt a flexible, resilient and pliant approach to Leadership.  The Ontology of leadership is a unique Leadership Development Programme which provides you with the opportunity to get inside the human condition, improve relationships, self-confidence, leadership capacity and the culture of your team or organisation.

With a focus on 3 core areas foundational areas, the programme is structured to help leaders to:

• Increase your mental and emotional agility in the face of greater complexity
• Shift from managing to leading
• Lead more authentically under pressure
• Create a culture of flexibility, innovation and change
• Build greater commitment within their team
• Build greater levels of self-awareness and confidence
• Define the ‘How’ of Leadership in a VUCA World

The programme focusses on3 core aspects of Ontology: 

Leaders and Language

The art of leadership at any level is by and large the art of influence and the capacity to have the right conversation at the right time to get things done. Much of what leaders do to influence others, boils down to conversation whether it is face to face, over the phone or through a written medium. It follows that the more adept a leader is at the art of conversation, the more effective they will be at the art of influencing others.  Organisations are a network of relationships and conversations; thus, an effective leader needs the skills to build these relationships to get things done through others. Self-aware leaders know exactly the right conversation to have at the right time.  They have an acute understanding of language distinctions and the active nature of language and are able to utilise their skills to generate meaningful results.

Leaders and Moods / Emotions

Human beings are emotional beings. Our moods and emotional state tend to incline us to some actions and not others. For example, when we are angry we are more predisposed to aggression than we would be when we are happy. In day to day conversation we refer to a variety of things having a ‘mood’ – for example, a day of the week or a particular place or city, and from a leader’s perspective an organisation or team.  Moods are very contagious; they generate feelings and responses in each individual. People ‘catch’ moods from each other and from the organisation in which they work. A leader plays a big role in influencing the mood in a team context or across an entire business. Another important role of a leader is establishing a mood that is conducive to accountability and action. Therefore an understanding of moods and emotions, and what actions we can take to manage moods and emotions for both themselves and others are critical if a leader is to establish the appropriate mood required for moving forward.

Leaders and Physical Presence

Many people in an organisation or team do not always have a lot of close conversational contact with the leader; however, the leader can still have an impact on these people through their physical presence. How? According to studies, up to 55% of what we pay attention to, we observe in the body of the person delivering the message. Even, when leaders are not speaking directly to someone, they are being observed, so it is vital for a leader to carry themselves in a way that portrays them as credible and someone to follow.

The ontological approach to Leadership, Organisational and Team Development encompasses a powerful methodology to significantly expand mental, emotional and physiological capabilities. The deep transformational capacities inherent within the discipline significantly expand the capacity of individuals, teams and organisations to successfully adjust and adapt to the continual disruptive change that characterises much of everyday corporate life.

Combined with the Competing Values Framework Ontology enables the facilitation of conversations and behaviour changes that lead to significant improvements in: