Leadership with an open stance

Is great leadership only about drive, decisiveness and urgency? About taking control, pushing forward?

What if some of the best leadership moves aren’t about pushing at all? What if the key to making progress is actually allowing space?

In Leadership and the New Science, Margaret Wheatley draws on natural systems to show that sustainable change isn’t about rigid control but about creating conditions for emergence. Can this idea apply when, say, forming teams? We can build the right structures and set the right intentions, but trust, relationships, and collective rhythm develop in their own time.

Instead of forcing progress, should we sometimes let it emerge?

The same applies to ideas. They don’t always arrive fully formed. Theory U explores this well - creating space to sense, reflect and allow deeper insights to surface knowing that ideas start as seeds and become shaped over time.

When we try to control too much, we cut off our ability to see beyond the immediate or respond to emergent information. Perhaps leaders who create lasting impact are those who embrace an open, adaptive stance. Resisting the urge to push and instead making room for discovery.

So, what might change for you if you resisted the need to force an outcome and instead created the right conditions for it to unfold?