Beyond Structure: The Inner Work of Leading in Holacracy

As a Self-led Depth Leadership Coach, I am aware that our current organisations are having to make a quantum leap into the new paradigm in order to survive. I see the Holacracy structure as a reliable container for the new way of being, yet I am wary of superimposing this structure over a culture from the old paradigm. There is a shift in the leader’s consciousness that is required. 

This shift in consciousness occurs within the leaders own inner-organisation. This inner-organisation is our sense-of-self which is a construct.  Many of the aspects that make up this sense-of-self are passed onto us by the culture and society within which we are raised.  

For most leaders, the traditional hierarchical organisational model will be perceived as normal.  This model depends on a psychological structure of winners and losers.  It is at the psychological level that Depth Leadership Coaching is applied.  This is necessary because the psychological undercurrents are far more powerful than what is going on at the surface level.  The psychological undercurrents are what direct the creative process and the subsequent effects that we experience, i.e. the consequences of our actions.  

The relational pattern of ‘I am superior and you are inferior’ stems from left-brain-hemisphere thinking. According to McGilchrist, our left-brain-hemisphere is hubristic in nature and evolved to manipulate and control the external environment. Yet, it evolved to be regulated by the right-brain-hemisphere.  The right-brain has the qualities of discernment and responsibility and has a far broader perspective for the possible consequences of our actions. 

Because of the predominance of left-brain thinking in our current organisations, it can be difficult for us to see a different way forward, especially in challenging times.  As Albert Einstein famously said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that we used when we created them.” We need to solve the problems we face with higher-level thinking.   

It is not possible to engage in higher-level thinking without self-awareness and connecting with our deeper-consciousness (Self).  With the need to operate within an increasingly challenging world and evolve our organisations, it is this expansion of deeper consciousness that is required.  In order for our solutions to be truly effective we need congruence between the visible social level and the hidden psychological level.  This is where Depth Leadership Coaching is essential. 

As the old paradigm organisations become more machine-like, it is critical to evolve our inner-system to achieve the external transformation.  Holacracy provides a vehicle for making this evolutionary leap into the new paradigm – yet we need to steer to arrive at the desired destination.  I see the new paradigm as humanistic in nature with future organisations supporting autonomy and not power-play.

The Holacracy structure has the ability to shape the behaviour of the people within it, yet for the full potential of an organisation to be expressed, I believe people need more.

The stated purpose of HolacracyOne as an organisation is “to evolve humanity’s relationship to power”.  Although this purpose is not an explicit goal in the Holacracy Constitution, I believe the purpose will infuse all aspects of the organisation. The Holacracy structure also provides the necessary containment for supporting authentic relating, which in turn leads to a flow of both creativity and efficiency in all parts of the organisation.  I see the Holacracy structure as providing the space for this level of autonomy to develop.   

Providing the space for authentic relating is the responsibility of the leader. An autonomous leader is needed to support the autonomy of the individuals being led.  Being autonomous means that we are free to make our own decisions in a timely, responsible and value-directed way.  To be autonomous requires self-awareness, spontaneity, and the ability to relate authentically with others. Currently, authenticity is considered risky or even dangerous.  

To be autonomous is to be Self-led. Self is our higher-consciousness.  Self has innate qualities such as creativity, curiosity, and clarity of perception. It goes without saying, then, that the more access to these qualities the more likely we are to ask questions rather than make assumptions.  We will have a broader perspective and be more capable of providing innovative solutions to complex problems. 

In order to reveal these innate qualities, we need enough Self operating within our system. People can adapt to survive in a structure yet it does not guarantee they will be bringing their full capability to work.  The Holacracy structure has the ability to shape the behaviour of the people within it, yet for the full potential of an organisation to be expressed, I believe people need more. So how do we make this qualitative difference and bring Self into the whole organisation? 

We need the person in the CEO or equivalent position to become Self-led.  Self, as we have seen, has innate qualities (curiosity, creativity, clarity of perception etc.).  It is these qualities that enable us to operate in a truly humanistic way.  By humanistic I mean we naturally make decisions that are value-creating for all stakeholders. We can lead others only as far as we ourselves have come. A Self-led leader will enable those they are working with to also become Self-led and so on. 

The culture of an organisation is therefore as essential as the structure. For me, this is the crucial point when moving an organisation to Holacracy. Depth Leadership Coaching empowers leaders to create a working model and gain maximum value from the Holacracy structure. 

We cannot force change. We can, however, work with the inner system to enable change. Holacracy is providing the structure and Depth Leadership Coaching the awareness to support this quantum leap.  

If you are interested in finding out more about Depth Leadership Coaching, please visit my website.