3 Guideposts From The Psychology Of Leadership

BY JENNY. B

Photo by Kika Fuenzalida on mixkit

It has been one of the great honors of my life to have graduated as a Psychology major in 2006. 

Truly. 
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While I was earning my degree, the field of Psychology itself was undergoing what felt like a Renaissance, expanding beyond a narrow definition or association with mental illness and conditioned behaviors toward a holistic view of wellness and our shared humanity. I was a student at Harvard when the traditional course offerings multiplied and began to include Positive Psychology and new depths in the Psychology of Leadership and Teams and topics surrounding happiness and creativity. 

This was certainly the result of hard work and years of stewardship by leaders in Psychology and at the University. At the same time, it felt like an overnight sensation. There were packed auditoriums and an electric buzz around prestigious and up-and-coming visiting speakers and the venerated titans of Psychology on the Harvard faculty. 

While it would be an impossible task and a disservice to attempt to distill all that was learned and discussed in those years with those great mentors, I can share 3 key concepts I return to, time and again. I find these to be true whether leading a business, volunteer group, or my household:

1. To be a great leader of action, have competence and character.
   You must be competent or well-versed in the subject matter or space in which you are trying to lead. And, to follow your direction when there is risk and uncertainty, people need to believe in your character – who you are broadly in life, and who you are in their particular life story. Think of the person in your workplace, volunteer organization, or network who is most able to get things done. Why is that? What does that say about that person’s competence, character, and the space you hold for them in your life story when supporting their goals?
2. To be a great leader of thought, hold contradictory ideas in mind at the same time. Understand the pros, cons, biases, and uses of each, not in a vacuum, but while still considering the other idea as valid and potential fodder for the decision or next step you are trying to move toward. Explore all the facets and tensions between the topics, while pressing for new solutions that honor what is valid and most relevant about each of the original schools of thought. (Sound like an interesting way to ‘level up’ your thinking? You can learn more about “Janusian Thinking” or “Oppositional Thinking” and its connection to creativity, here.) 
3. To be a leader, you will have to be engaged in the work. You will have to get your hands dirty and be accountable. This means that you will not get to observe from a safe distance and be untouched. Your passion and ideals will drive decisions and action. Not everyone will like every decision. You will make some mistakes that come at a cost. How will you keep engaged, keep learning, and keep applying? ​