CIRCULAR LEADERSHIP is the deliberate support of people and performance so they both improve simultaneously.
Circular leaders know that high-performance flows naturally from employees who feel trusted and valued. Circular Leadership is based on the view that traditional command-and-control may not be appropriate in the modern workplace where collaboration and creativity are primary sources of organisational value.
What are linear leaders and circular leaders?
In 2018 Alex Glassey defined the terms ‘linear leader’ and ‘circular leader’ to describe fundamentally different leadership approaches.
LINEAR LEADERS use top-down, command-and-control power dynamics (knowingly or not) to achieve an objective.
Linear leadership is characterised by a narrow focus on the current objective. Other considerations are minimised or ignored, including employee well-being and creativity. People become commoditized leading to lower engagement, productivity and retention.
CIRCULAR LEADERS, in contrast, use collaborative, supportive approaches to build self-directing teams that consistently perform well.
Circular leaders know their job is not to do things or know things or even direct things. Their job is to empower their people and facilitate productive discussions. Their job is to build a team that learns things, solves things, creates and delivers things.
Ironically—and wonderfully—circular leaders build teams that require less of their leadership over time.
Circular Leadership versus Linear Leadership
Learn the key differences between linear and circular leadership:
READ MORE about Linear Leadership vs Circular Leadership here.
Key Points of Circular Leadership
These fundamentals will empower your leadership journey:
IT’S GROUNDED IN DATA
Circular leadership is based on a quarter-century of research (including Harvard, Google and Gallup) and several years of our own applied practice with staff and managers in dozens of organisations on four continents.
IT PROVIDES A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS
From assessing the current situation in a team or organisation to mapping ROI-positive opportunities to understanding how to convert unrealized value, circular leadership provides a systematic process.
IT IMPROVES BOTH PERFORMANCE AND PEOPLE
Circular leadership is based on the simultaneous pursuit of improved performance AND a better workplace. It is a “win-win” not “zero-sum” mindset.
IT MAXIMIZES OPPORTUNITY WHILE MINIMIZING RISK
The concepts and tools are common-sense, easy to understand and visual – which makes the path from linear leadership to circular leadership natural and effective.
IT EMPOWERS YOU THROUGH TOOLS AND FRAMEWORKS
The Circular Leader Methodology™ offers systematic tools and frameworks that shift from linear leadership thinking and behavior to the simultaneous pursuit of people and performance.
IT SHOWS YOU HOW TO CREATE A WIN-WIN OUTCOME
As an integrated approach, circular leadership shows you that supporting people and improving performance are natural partners. Circular leadership recognises the value of human characteristics in the modern workplace and builds them into the leadership process.