Power Is Not Leadership: 4 Lessons From Orangutans

Leadership

Danum Valley is an ancient tropical forest on the northeastern tip of Borneo with an outstanding complement of flora and fauna.  It is the largest remaining area of virgin undisturbed lowland rainforest on the island spanning 170 square miles.  Recognized as one of the world’s most complex ecosystems, Danum Valley lies along the upper reaches of the Segama River and is flanked by vast timber concession acreage. The valley is home to rare and endangered species like the Sumatran rhino, the Asian elephant, the clouded leopard, and the orangutan.

The Borneon orangutan, or Pongo pygmaeus, can trace its ancestral line for 9 million years to Sivapithecus, a Miocene hominoid from Turkey.  At one time the world’s wild orangutan population climbed into the hundreds of thousands.  Today, Pongo pygmaeus has been reduced to less than 20,000 individuals. Poaching, illegal logging, mining, and the conversion of forests to agriculture have played a role in the rapidly changing environment of the great ape.

It is under these threatening conditions that the male orangutans pursue the coveted position of alpha.  They assert their dominance by doing three things:  First, they pound their chests.  Not in discrete bouts of rapidly delivered beats, but for prolonged periods of time.  So much time, in fact, that they cause themselves physical harm.  The desire to be alpha overrides their sensory for pain. Next, they screech and grunt until the oxygen to their brain is restricted and they become delusional.  Finally, they excrete enormous amounts of poop and toss it at the other apes.  This is how the alpha male is decided.  Self-inflicted pain, histrionics, and dung throwing.

In the world of orangutans, the alpha holds the position of endurance and power, but is not to be mistaken as leader.  He is not designed to lead. The alpha’s job is to protect territory and fight or frighten off invaders. With the alpha in place, the apes co-exist in a state of harmony.  The troop works together to find and harvest food.  They live like families and treat extended family members with courtesy.   They even create pathways to food sources knowing these pathways will be used by other apes in the territory.

It is not a stretch to recognize their similarities to man. In fact, the word “orangutan” comes from the Malay words “orang” (man) and “(h)utan” (forest).  Hence, “man of the forest.”  Neither is it a stretch to draw leadership lessons from this primate community:

1. The alpha position is a responsibility, not a rank. Being the leader means to be in a position to help others achieve their goals — employees, customers, investors, and community.  As Ken Blanchard says, “Leadership is not something you do to It is something you do with people.”
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2. Power is used to protect the troops, not impose burden. It’s the leaders’ job to set the vision and direction, then inspire and equip the team to achieve results.  Used to maximum effect, leadership power will empower the organization and its employees. Used carelessly, it will disempower them, and can lead to a culture of fear.
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3. Delusional, dung-slinging behavior denotes endurance and power, not leadership. Part of a leader’s role is to solve problems, and problems can lead to stress.  But yelling at people, demeaning them, and using profanity are not signs of leadership.  (See Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice.) They are signs of fear, insecurity, and distrust.
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4. Power is not leadership. Hoarding power can lead to disengaged, clock-punching employees who leave their hearts and imaginations at the door. Sharing the power to give input takes true strength, from a true leader, and allows everyone in the organization to engage and grow.

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Like the orangutans, today’s organizations face threat by competitors, territory fragmentation, and resource depletion.  Leaders who understand the true value of their position can create a culture of teamwork, respect, and sustainability.

Question:  How does the way you use your power impact your organization’s culture? 

The Top 3 Reasons Leaders Need to Ditch the Pyramid

Leadership

Last week, Dr. Tony Baron and I hosted The Re:Imagine Leadership Summit at The Centre in north San Diego County.  We spent the day sharing research from our upcoming book with the working title, Ditch the Pyramid: Reimagining Leadership for the 21st Century.  The big idea of the book is this:  while 72% of today’s leaders know that culture is extremely important to organizational performance, just 32% have aligned their culture with their business strategy.

A 2014 global study by Korn Ferry’s Hay Group division found that “driving culture change” ranked among the top three global leadership development priorities. There’s no doubt. Culture is the X-factor that makes the difference between whether an organization will succeed or fail in the market today.  Yet, while the need to make cultural changes is clear, the path is not.   

Technology has effectively collapsed the boundaries of time and space

Information is the new raw material. Performance today depends on our ability to turn information into knowledge and knowledge into service as quickly as possible.  Yet, most organizations still operate under the pyramid paradigm.  Culture change cannot begin until leaders recognize that the pyramid is still deeply embedded in their leadership psyche.  Until that mindset is changed, culture changes will fail.  Here are the top three reasons why leaders need to ditch the pyramid:

1. Acquiring and protecting power. People naturally want to learn, grow, and be their best both personally and professionally.  Under the pyramid model, people are forced to climb their way to the top, squeezing out others along the way.  Holding onto their positions requires leaders to continuously fight to acquire and protect their power.

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2. Limiting our circle of influence. A leader who is keen on acquiring and protecting power tends to build a team of direct reports who do not pose a threat to that power.  When our circle of influence is made up of people who want to keep their positions by pandering to our ego, our ability to access reality correctly is severely limited.

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3. Operating in a paradigm of scarcity. As we work our way to the top of the pyramid, fewer and fewer positions are available. The pyramid shapes our paradigm of scarcity.  Scarcity begets fear.  We fear that someone will take our position.  We fear that we never have enough time.  We fear that if someone else wins, we lose. This creates stress, tension, and a drive for success as a destination that we continually struggle to reach.

Those are just three of the ten reasons we’ve identified about why we need to ditch the pyramid.  We invite you to follow our journey as we continue to share our findings and help leaders create a culture that can respond swiftly, communicate freely, and organize as a network of people motivated by a shared purpose.  Are you ready to reimagine leadership?

Question: Does the organization chart pictured look familiar to you?  Are you holding onto a position of rigidity?