John McDonald, CEO of ClearObject, and I were sitting in his open office space discussing leadership and at the beginning of our time he introduced to me a concept I was unfamiliar with: the gig economy.
When I Googled this concept the dictionary definition states: “a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs.”
What does this reality mean for leadership? McDonald had a few suggestions related to personal leadership:
- We all have to be leaders of our own business which is ourselves. In a world where there is no “job security”, first and foremost we have to invest in our growth and become the best we can become. The world is ever-changing so we have a responsibility to ourselves to seek to continually grow and learn or be left behind.
- Initiative and Drive. In this gig economy people are not going to hold our hands because the speed of change decreases the amount of time for that process. As leaders of ourselves we have to take initiative to solve problems and press forward each day despite difficulties.
- Growth mindset. Let me explain this concept by describing what it is not. This is how we have always done it . . . it will never change . . . that is just how I am. In an ever evolving world we must seek to become the best version of ourselves we can. This means continually looking for ways to grow in our personal and professional skills. Those who grow will continue to go.
Those were a few impacts the gig economy has on personal leadership, but McDonald had multiple insights on how the gig economy impacts the way leaders effectively lead their organizations:
- Flat and Empowering structure. This principle was visible in the layout of his office and even the location of his personal space . . . a cubicle in the corner where everyone could hear his conversations and see his work. Hierarchy slows the process down. In the fast-paced technology sector ClearObject works in communication must be efficient and people must be empowered to make decisions without multiple layers.
- Feedback to increase creativity. When leaders in an organization are open to feedback they do not slow down progress. This feedback can also fuel creativity. If the leader is the smartest and most innovative individual in the room then he or she easily stops or slows progress. When the leader has a growth mindset and learns from those around him or her innovation thrives.
- Trust. At the foundation of the first two principles there must be a culture of trust which starts with the leader. I know in my leadership journey this can be challenging because I like to understand and to some degree control everything. In order to progress at a rapid pace I must trust those around me until evidence shows me otherwise. This is such an important concept that Stephen M. R. Covey wrote an entire book The Speed of Trust on the topic and I can explore some of those principles at a later time.
These six concepts help individuals lead more effectively in a gig economy, but there was one final idea Mr. McDonald shared which summarizes the way to lead in this ever evolving environment.
Transparency, Humility and willingness to admit mistakes.
These traits will fuel the ability to live out the above principles and lead effectively in the gig economy. No matter how the world or market evolves, certain principles will continually guide effective leadership.
After looking at these principles, what is one you need to work on in order to lead more effectively and not slow down the process and therefore the potential results with what you lead?
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