Pathological. Bureaucratic. Evolutionary.

This diagnostic has been a working reference in my practice for years. Use it as a sanity check for the systems you lead, the ones you work inside, and the ones you are building.

The holy grail of what "good" leadership means has not recently arrived to the global shores.

Many performative versions of leadership exist, and leaders of systems are always a reflection of two things:

• the state of consciousness of the leader, and

• the collective consciousness the leader leads.

Choosing where you give your energy and who, outside of your own inner guidance, you follow are mechanisms by which we all create and build.

Pathological

Trend lines for pathological-style leadership systems: manipulation-oriented, information-hoarded, politically motivated, irregular rules.

• Low Cooperation

• Messengers Shot

• Accountabilities Shirked

• Bridging Discouraged

• Failures = Scapegoating

• Novelty Crushed

• Information Controlled

• Discourse Dangerous

• Decisioning Ways Non-Existent

• Personal Agency Prevented

• Unclear Boundaries Dominant

• Time Policed

Bureaucratic, Traditional

Trend lines for bureaucratic, traditional-style leadership systems: rule-oriented, turf maintained, landscape controlled, rule books drafted

• Modest Cooperation

• Messengers Neglected

• Narrow Responsibilities

• Bridging Tolerated

• Failures = Justice

• Novelty Viewed as Problematic, Inconvenient

• Information Buried

• Discourse Avoided

• Decisioning Ways Opaque

• Personal Agency Controlled

• Boundaries Dictated

• Time Managed

Evolved | Generative

Trend lines for evolved, generative leadership systems: impact-oriented, outcomes-focused, mission-first, people-expansive, simple rules.

• High Collaboration

• Messengers Heard

• Risks Shared

• Bridging as Default Design

• Failures = Innovations, Adaptations

• Novelty Used

• Information Flows

• Discourse Expected

• Decisioning Ways Integrated

• Personal Agency Expected

• Clear Boundaries Enabled

• Accountabilities Owned

• Time Self-Directed

Generative leadership systems lead a system to evolve and re-generate itself from clarity, flow, and trust as first principles.

Bureaucratic leadership leans into controls to maintain order, minimise deviation and re-generation as a first principle.

Pathological leadership projects near impossible promises and shiny ideologies to distract, deflect, and deny.

You get the idea.

Consider this a sanity check to

• Be reminded what it means to lead and be led.

• What discernment is.

• How to find and hold onto your voice.

• Why it matters to stand up to anyone and anything that suggests you deny your truth and knowing.