Co-Active Leadership

5Co-Active Leader Behind

In the last chapter, we discussed how important it was for Leaders in Front to have the agility to sit down and allow others to step forward by moving to the dimension of Leader Behind. It’s important to note that sitting down does not mean sitting back. Co-Active Leader Behind is not about sitting back, taking a break, abdicating, or being a passenger.

Co-Active Leader Behind is perhaps the most misunderstood of the dimensions. In command-and-control, one-dimensional leadership, we believe that “front” is better than “behind” because we believe that the Leaders in Front have all the power and influence. This creates a sense that everyone else is powerless and therefore should abdicate responsibility and follow blindly. ...