“Relatively few leaders try to understand their own action logic, and fewer still have explored the possibility of changing it.”
–Seven Transformations of Leadership
According to this popular 2005 HBR article, what differentiates one leader from another is not leadership philosophy, personality, or management style. Rather, it is “action logic” – an ability to interpret surroundings and react appropriately. Leaders with strong action logic can bring effective, transformative change to their organization. These are the alchemist leaders.
What are the qualities of an alchemist leader?
Do today’s organizations need alchemist leaders?
This blog explores these intriguing questions!
The Alchemist Leader: Inspired By “The Alchemist”
The Alchemist is a popular novel by Brazilian author Paolo Coelho. Although written as a fictional account of a young man’s journey to find his life’s purpose and fulfill his personal legend (goals), the book is not your average novel. Rather, it is like a guide to leadership and personal fulfillment.
One key takeaway from The Alchemist is that learning doesn’t assure success in life. Success also requires doing. A great leader learns from first-hand experiences and relate past experiences to new ones. They don’t just rely on knowledge to succeed but take action to achieve their goals and to help others achieve their goals as well.
Leadership Lessons From The Alchemist
One important leadership lesson from The Alchemist is that great leaders understand that we can only find the answers we seek within ourselves. It doesn’t matter whether we seek these answers for ourselves (say, as individual contributors on a project team) or on behalf of others (as the leader of a group of people). To realize our goals, we can’t completely rely on others because no one can guarantee that we will go where we want to go. Only we can do this for ourselves. And for this, we need to become the alchemist of our own lives, seeking constant improvement to convert the ordinary into extraordinary.
As we pursue our personal legend, we should trust ourselves, develop self-control, and consistently persevere on our chosen path. We should also remember that life is rarely black-and-white. To this end, we shouldn’t make snap judgments or assumptions. Rather, we should use our intuition and instincts as a guide, leverage the power of our emotions, and think logically before arriving at a decision.
We should also adapt if our original plan changes or we experience unexpected challenges or roadblocks. We can thus meet our goals, regardless of what hurdles life throws at us because as the book says, “When you want something badly enough, the entire universe conspires to help you to achieve it.”
The Key Qualities Of An Alchemist Leader
At the start of this article, we mentioned how alchemist leaders have strong action logic. In particular, they have a charismatic action logic, so they can not only understand the need for transformative organizational change, but also communicate this need to others. More importantly, they can overcome the existing status quo and break down any resistance to change.
Alchemists also have the unique ability to effectively balance short-term needs and long-term goals and find a solution that straddles both. They can see the big picture in everything but they also understand why details matter when it comes to creating deep, foundational change. This is why they are the kind of leader an organization needs when the goal is a big-bang transformation.
Why Organizations Need Alchemist Leaders
Alchemist leaders help bring about change that resonates in their organization. They are highly empathetic and have the moral awareness to also inspire impactful change in their broader industry, operational area, and business context. Further, they are constantly aware of how their actions and decisions could have long-term and wide-ranging ripple effects, and make an effort to ensure that these effects are positive.
These leaders function as the alchemists of their own lives. Just like ancient alchemists attempted to convert ordinary metals into gold, alchemist leaders also hone their own abilities and qualities with the aim of converting themselves into “gold”. At the same time, they are passionate about helping their people become alchemists to unlock and achieve their own potential. They inspire people to rise above their limitations and pursue their own personal legend. They also emphasize the importance of action to achieve these goals.
Conclusion
Alchemist leaders can create a profound and positive impact that goes beyond their immediate circle. They also understand that “it’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting”. Any company or institution looking to achieve transformative change needs much more than a change roadmap or plan. They also need alchemist leaders to show the way, light the path, and make the journey as valuable as the treasure at the end of it.
