Tuesday, August 14, 2012

3 Qualities of Right Brain Leadership


8-14-12 -- By Sandra H. Rodman, Creator, Right Brain Aerobics


Qualities of “right brain” leadership might be different, since "leadership" is often thought of as hierarchical, and “right brain” is thought of as more collaborative, cooperative, and creative. As we already have highly developed “left brain skills” in our societies, then developing right brain leadership skills might mean more "balanced" leadership -- or Whole Brain Leadership. Here are 3 Qualities for “Right Brain Leadership" as Food for Thought. (If you want to know more about how Right Brain Aerobics looks at what is “left brain” and what is “right brain” look at Introduction to Right Brain Thinking.  Dan Pink transformed the 80's term "Right Brain" into a modern business concept with his book "A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future."


1. Right Brain Leadership…is creative, innovative, enticing, intriguing, entertaining – “sticky.”

      Leadership is not thought of as creative entertainment, yet most modern media and TV/social networks depend on the entertaining qualities of “leaders.”

And if they don’t exist, co-create them. We co-create great leadership by responding well to creative, genuine, expansive, ethical, enticing leaders.

In the early days of the web, a great web site was said to be “sticky”; great right brain leadership might be said to create environments that are like good web sites – they get a lot of hits and click trough’s -- environments where people want to be involved. 

a.     Thus: Right brain leadership may include creation of and participation in theater of the mind…of self and others.  And recognize these subtle meanings in both left and right brain terms.

b.     Thus: Right brain leadership may not be easily standardized.  It might be not only “out of the box” – but contemplating “circular” or “ripple like” or “wave like” structures for more bio-structured expansion of new initiatives.

Question: Why do we train our kids to succeed at standardized tests – when we’re supposed to be preparing leaders of the future who must be innovative?

Question: Where’s the “out of the box thinking” class for the first grade?  Or are first graders already “out of the box” and the purpose of first grade is to get their thinking back IN the box, coloring inside the lines but not quite knowing why? To have right brain leaders, might we have to have right brain schools…?

  1. Right Brain Leadership…is intuitive while innovating. 

    Intuition is a key right brain quality often called “great gut instincts” but is really high mental acumen, a supersensory skill called intuition. 

    This ability to “sense” the future and significant trends is a new managerial skill important to train. It involves seeing the future as a subtle form of creating the future. 

    Right brain leaders will know “the art of the long view” and take into account 5-10 generations out, the impact of what they and their teams create, for a more hospitable environmental and societal planet.  They might have fewer unintended consequences to fix later -- from Y2K to unanticipated outcomes of mass fossil fuel use.
    1. Executive ESP: Professor John Mihalasky (researcher at the Newark College of Engineering and author of the book, Executive ESP) “showed recently that success rates for CEO was proportional to their ability to tab into their ESP. “…headed a 10-year research project on precognition and how it benefits business people. He found that some people are able to predict the future, and tehse are the people who make decisions that generate the highest profits." Zoominfo, Professor John Mihalasky.
b.     Thus: Right brain leadership may not only more easily “spot” or extrapolate future trends, they might create them -- using right brain techniques to pop them up. They will know from practiced, extended extrasensory awareness when something, no matter how illogical to consider, “feels right” and is ahead of the curve.

      “A breakthrough idea is like shooting skeet.  People’s needs change, so you must aim well ahead of the target to hit it.” – Raymond Kurzweil.

      “I never came upon any of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking.” – Albert Einstein.
  
c.      Thus: Right brain leadership is going to be surprising!   As will right brain teams.  They may create new mysteries as well as industries.  One cannot be sure what they will do next and watches them, intrigued.   Right brain leaders and teams that “sync up” mentally with future unspoken dreams and desires of most people, will be the ones who create next steps that meet them.

3.    Right Brain Leadership…is inspiringly collaborative, compassionate, caring, and expansive.

It understands the impact of these and the transformative nature of power that shares; that nurtures; that develops the best in everyone; that expands global business and networks into broadening fields of companies once seen only as competitors.

a.     Thus: Right brain leaders will see partners, collaborators, and clients in every relationship – past a mindset that created more competitors by thinking of most other companies/individuals only as competitors!

Instead of creating more clients by thinking of most other companies/individuals as potential partners; by thinking of clients as the best evangelists and not those to be given less for a higher charges.

b.     Thus: Right brain leaders will recognize patterns in partnership synergy across industries and disciplines, seeing connections where others do not, creating whole “streams” of interflowing industries and fields that never existed before, because no one saw them as “quilts” – only as separate threads.
The most important thing that I’ve learned in Right Brain Aerobics sessions is that every individual and every company hold startling creative genius at bay all day long!  There are amazing minds and insights that are natural and that take the breath away – but hidden, not requested.  The emotional power of someone “requesting” your creative genius cannot be overstated…
Likely a key trait of Right Brain Leadership is that it will not be held at bay much longer.  It is ready to be unleashed given the slightest opportunity.  Or invitation…
The right brain leader makes that opportunity for creative genius to emerge everywhere in its environs, available to everyone without hesitation, reservations, or qualifications.


   
Sandra H. Rodman
CEO, Right Brain Aerobics

www.rightbrainaerobics.com
Sandra@rightbrainaerobics.com or

rightbrainblogs@gmail.com
Linked In - Twitter

(c) 2012, S.H. Rodman. Photo credits (Top), iStockPhoto.com. (brain with lightbulb) Fotolia. 

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