Bookworm: Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader

It's only by behaving differently that we actually start to think differently, writes Herminia Ibarra.

What does this book say about leadership?

If we step up and behave like leaders, we will start to think and feel like leaders – even if this feels inauthentic at first. People learn about themselves and about leadership by doing, says author Herminia Ibarra, London Business School’s Charles Handy Professor of Organisational Behaviour.

Act first, think later – shouldn’t it be the other way round?

Traditionally, the theory is that if we just try to think like a leader, we will start acting like one. But Ibarra argues that the only way to think like a leader is to leave our comfort zones and act it out first. It is only by behaving differently that we actually start to think differently, she argues.

So, she’s not big on introspection?

Instead of insight, Ibarra prescribes ‘outsight’. This is the fresh, external perspective we can get when we do new and different things, plunging ourselves into new projects and activities, interacting with different kinds of people, and experimenting with new ways of getting things done – and then observing the results of our actions. It's the opposite of learning by self-reflection, in which we seek insight on our past behaviours.

What’s wrong with self-reflection?

Ibarra warns that it anchors us in the past and amplifies our blinders. It shields us from discovering our leadership potential and pigeonholes us as our past selves instead of pointing the way to the self we can be. This type of inside-out thinking can impede change and hold back careers.

How can we increase outsight, then?

First, we can make our day-to-day work more strategic, rather than putting all our effort into routine activities. To achieve this, we will need to broaden our horizons by getting involved in activities outside of our area of expertise, our organisation and even our industry.

Second, we need to diversify our networks rather than drawing on a “narrow range of the usual subjects” so that we can connect to and learn from a wider range of stakeholders. We can start by reaching out to people in different parts of our company or industry to find out how what they do might apply to our work.

We should also broaden our leadership repertory by becoming chameleon-like, studying and imitating the helpful behaviours and strategies of the people we admire.

Isn’t that being inauthentic?

No, it’s being playful and learning by doing. We should view ourselves as works in progress evolving our professional identities through trial and error. That way, we can develop a personal style that feels right to us and suits our organisations’ changing needs. Knowing the kind of leader we would like to become is not the starting point of our development journey, but rather the result of increasing our outsight.

What am I most likely to say after reading this book?

“I’m a chameleon.’

What am I least likely to say after reading this book?

“I’m going to have a think about that first.”