Leadership Beyond Boundaries

There’s an interesting paradox at the heart of today’s connected world. Technology and communications have created more and more social connections between widely dispersed groups of people. But those same tools strengthen divisions, breaking down visible and physical boundaries while bolstering invisible and mental disconnections.

“The boundaries that matter most to us today – and why this is so challenging from a leadership perspective – is that the boundaries are now found more in human relationships —in us and in them, across layers of management, across silos, across different organizational cultures,” said Chris Ernst, senior researcher for the Center for Creative Leadership and co-author of Boundary Spanning Leadership.

These boundaries are especially tricky because they are often tied up in a deeper level of identity. But to solve the complex problems facing today’s organizations and create new opportunities for growth, leaders must learn to think and act beyond those boundaries and identities. Meaningful leadership development experiences, not training, can be an answer.

Ernst said there are five common boundaries found in business today:
• Vertical boundaries across organizational levels and authority structures.
• Horizontal boundaries across wide ranging functions and expertise.
• External stakeholder boundaries with partners, suppliers, customers, communities and governments.
• Demographic boundaries.
• Geographic boundaries across locations.

“They’re most recognized by the everyday business vernacular we hear: silos, stovepipes, culture clashes, diversity divides, turf battles,” Ernst said.

Ernst and his co-author identified six practices for helping leaders adapt, alter and modify the shape of boundaries in organizations:
• Buffering to define boundaries and create safety.
• Reflecting to foster understanding and respect.
• Connecting to build trust.
• Mobilizing to develop community.
• Weaving to create interdependence.
• Transforming to cut across boundaries.