The 20th century view of leadership was about the skills and abilities held within each individual leader, based on the “Great-Man” theory. Our 21st century view is “Relational Leadership”, the capabilities held between leaders in the culture. Leadership Culture (LC) holds the collaborative potential of the collective, and consists of the limitations and abilities held in the beliefs (b) and practices (p) in common between leaders that can produce predictable types of direction, alignment and commitment (DAC). Certain Leadership Culture types are required in order to produce the kind of DAC required by increasingly complex organizational strategies.
LC(b+p)=DAC
There is a hierarchy of Leadership Culture; each successive culture is more capable of dealing with more complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity than the previous one. Transformation from one type of Leadership Culture to another requires transformation in shared beliefs and practices. Horizontal learning and development consists of external technical and operational skills and abilities, whereas vertical learning and development focuses internally on beliefs and assumptions, imagination and innovation, emotions and mindset and the potential of the human spirit. Horizontal and Vertical development can combine for extraordinary transformational power. Success rate probability rises when VLC transformation is practiced. Feasibility, Readiness and Renewal are all improved simultaneously.