New Water Policy and Practice Issue 4, Number 1, Fall 2017 | Page 25

Growing as a Water Leader: Beware of Six Traps
style to an enabling/adaptive style where they need to create environments for
people experiencing the problem to come together, experiment, and learn by do-
ing (see Fien & Wilson 2014; Heifetz & Laurie 1997; Snowden & Boone 2007;
Taylor, Lincklaen Arriëns & Laing 2015). This style requires the directive leader
to empower others to find solutions, be patient, cope with uncertainty, respond
positively to failures, and play a facilitation role. This leadership style places an
emphasis on local stakeholders who are experiencing the problem finding solu-
tions rather than relying on solutions from external experts.
3.6.2. Developmental Guidance
Developmental strategies for directive leaders include getting feedback from col-
leagues so they are aware of the implications of their tendency to solve technical
problems for others, and learning how to switch their leadership style to suit the
situation they are facing. The second generation Situation Leadership Model (see
Northouse 2015 after Blanchard, Zigarmi & Zigarmi 1985) is a useful tool to help
them identify when to direct, coach, support, or fully delegate tasks to a direct re-
port or colleague. Training and coaching to build the skills necessary to use the se
four leadership/supervision styles are also valuable. For example, learning how to
effectively delegate tasks to colleagues.
Helping directive leaders to accurately diagnose the difference between
technical and complex challenges (see Heifetz, Grashow & Linsky 2009) is a valu-
able form of “vertical” leadership development (see Petrie 2011). “Vertical” leader-
ship development refers to the different cognitive stages that leaders move through
as they make sense of their world, such as adopting new mindsets or ways of look-
ing at a leadership challenge. This contrasts with the more traditional “horizontal”
form of leadership development which focuses on the acquisition of new skills,
abilities, and behaviours (e.g. learning specific communication skills).
In addition to accurately diagnosing complex challenges, directive leaders
also need to develop the ability to perform the behaviors associated with the adap-
tive/enabling style (e.g. facilitation, conflict management, sense making, and sys-
tems thinking). Challenging job assignments with elements of feedback, support,
and reflection are ideal for building these abilities (e.g. short-term “leadership
projects”). For most directive leaders, challenging job assignments that require
them to use an enabling/adaptive leadership style are located well outside their
“comfort zone”, so they need significant support throughout the process.
4. Implications and Limitations
T
here are three practical implications of the content of this paper. First, the
descriptions of the six leadership traps (see Figure 1) can be used by super-
visors, human resource professionals, mentors, coaches, and other leader-
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