We Not Me
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Episode 71 - What Simon Sinek could learn about irony in teams
Show Notes
There are plenty of leadership “gurus” who can simplify complex topics. But how often do we consider the accuracy of their statements? Lots has been written about the purpose movement, but there’s another approach: embracing the absurdity of our current situations, and holding up a mirror to them. Irony in teams can give us an interesting perspective on performance and management, and can be a vital bonding agent within teams.
Dr Richard Claydon has done extensive research on organisational irony and its role in leadership. He teaches leadership programmes and has developed facilitation techniques to help people learn and develop leadership skills in a practical way. And he challenges some of the received wisdom of “gurus” many hold in high esteem.
Takeaways from Dan and Pia
- Not all of us can find purpose in our work, so we seek it elsewhere. And trying too hard to find purpose in your work – and not following your own intrinsic purpose – can lead to difficulties.
- Richard challenges some of the claims and statements Simon Sinek makes – from an academic’s point of view – but the fact that it resonates with so many people can’t be ignored.
- When faced with absurdity – or with things being taken too seriously – the key is to face it with a wry smile. Just don’t take it to the point of sarcasm.
- There can be comfort in finding people who share your ironic take on things.
- Leadership can be dark – it’s not always plain sailing.
Links
- Connect with Richard via LinkedIn
- Are you a Sinek cynic? – Richard’s LinkedIn post
- How Great Leaders Inspire Action – Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle” TED talk
- EQ Lab
- The Human Factor
- Leave us a voice note
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Meet the guests
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Richard creates and teaches cohort-based leadership curricula that accelerate leadership development, deepen the leadership talent pool and enable future-ready behaviours. Most leadership development isn't fit for purpose. It relies on outdated models based on hopes about how leadership ought to be, not how it actually is. - There are 120+ models
- Few generalise
- Many conflict
- The more you are exposed to them, the more confused you become
- They are expensive, so only a select few get access to them Worse, they result in stats like these: - Only 10% of CEOs believe their leadership development initiatives have a clear business impact
- 63% of Millennials say their leadership skills are not being fully developed
- Only 11% of organisations report they have a “strong” leadership bench --- How is Richard different? Everybody makes this claim so here's some evidence. Richard has 27 years' experience in teaching and delivering behavioural content, with 16 years' specialisation in leadership, including a PhD in the field and practical experience leading organisational transformations. For corporate clients, he avoids cookie-cutter solutions, shaping curricula design around their specific contexts. This ensures the content is engaging and meaningful to the participants, rapidly accelerating their development. Richard's academic research into hidden leadership potential and capacities has been reviewed as "outstanding" and "a touchstone for the future of management" by world-leading leadership/management scholars. Richard has designed a simple and scalable self-managed learning system that can help organisations discover this hidden talent and rapidly develop their future-readiness.
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