The late great expert on mythology, Joseph Campbell, used to tell a tale from the days of King Arthur. One day during a feast, the Holy Grail appears high in the great room but draped in a veil. Then it disappears. The bold Sir Gawain proposes that the knights all go off to find the cup and behold it unveiled. Just about all of the knights choose to follow existing paths through the forest, none of which lead anywhere near the grail. It turns out that to have even a chance of glimpsing the chalice, a knight has to divert from the well-worn path he is following and set out hacking through the deep, tangled brush, creating a brand new path.
It is like this in organizations. So many managers strive for great results and success (i.e. the Grail) by playing it safe (i.e. taking a comfortable path). They are careful to agree with their boss, not rock the boat, fit in, do things the (so-called) tried and true way other managers there do, be perfect so no one can catch them making a mistake, micromanage and drive their staff so they themselves will look good in the eyes of upper management, lash back when criticized instead of learning from the feedback, and so forth.
This is what The Leadership Circle (TLC) calls the reactive approach to leading. It smacks of dependency on what others think and what they might do to you.
Research by TLC reveals a lot about those managers who generate the best results, who (here comes the as bridging metaphor) find the Grail. They engage in creative leadership competencies around relating, being system-savvy, self-aware and authentic, and placing high priority on achieving stretch goals.
These best bosses have the courage and persistence to shift gradually from a reactive leadership style toward an outcome-creating one. This takes guts. It calls for faith in oneself. It requires the humility to learn from mistakes and face one’s shadow side that is holding one back from greatness.
A lot like that Knight of the Round Table who decides to step off the path, raise his sword, and start carving his way into the dark, unknown depths of the forest.
