Many Leaders struggle to balance Aggression and Openness.
Aggression breaks down resistance and motivates action. Openness allows us to see other possibilities and change course. The balance point between Aggression and Openness is… Assertiveness.
A good way to see this struggle is to watch how leaders manage change in their teams.
One classic model for change management is DMAIC – Define, Measure, Analyze, Implement & Control.
DMAIC is a great logical model that is seldom used in practice. Like the Biblical 10 Commandments it’s more often quoted than practiced.
One problem with DMAIC is that it requires Openness- the ability to accept that what you think the answer is might be wrong.
A more common model for solving problems is DFAIC.
DFAIC = Decide what the answer is, Force others to agree, Accelerate the timeline, Implement & Change to something else.
DFAIC requires Aggression. Unlike DMAIC it is best driven with certainty that your answer is the right one. (At least until it fails, hence the need to Change to something else…)
If you’re right all the time you should use DFAIC, time spent considering other options is time wasted.
If, however, you’re not the smartest person on earth you might consider the possibility that the best answers are complicated, hard to find quickly and probably not yours.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
“people struggle to tell the difference between what is true and what gives them some advantage…”.
DMAIC is rightly criticized when it becomes hiding place for indecision. Leaders need to make decisions not be a blank page.
Good leaders balance Aggression with Openness. They can drive results but they know they’re not infallible.
Good Leaders are Assertive.