Provocateur Leadership and Design Thinking -Catalysts of change for the default Future

The adverse and abnormal VUCA(Volatility,Uncertaininty,Complexity and Ambiguity) reality is an obvious phenomenon in the corporate world but it is followed by period of exponential growth. Neither the VUCA times nor the following period of exponential market growth that heralds the new paradigm, follow or observe any known patterns of behaviours, systems or leadership. It seeks different and new style in leadership. 

The idea that marginal enhancements in the style and efficiency of leadership will not be able to sustain itself in the new paradigm. It calls for what thinkers call –Provocateur Leadership.

Darwins law of survival of the fittest has been engraved in our hard wired minds.It also opens up to the theory of following the classical path as opposed to create your own path.When you require someone to do something because of prescribed rules - what you do is labelled as classical. When you however expect to move your consciousness as well as that of others to take initiatives in the zone of leadership to manage the new and the unprecedented reality, what you get as a result of that is provocateur in Leadership !!!

Classical leaders either transform themselves into Provocateur Leaders or they slip down into the obscurity and silence of the graveyard of their careers.

For a classical leader to transition and lead in the post turbulance times, requires the Provocateur Leader to be guided by four guiding norms...its called Provocateurship. 

•  Provocateurs Intention
•  Provocateurs Awareness
•  Provocateurs FDI
•  Provocateurs Create  Provocateurs

 Provocateurship begins with conscious Intention which represents the innermost core of the leaders purpose, values, desires and motivation. Collectively, this garners the energy required to manage any change effort. Rightly said Charles de Gaulle ..."nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so !". It represents desire of the leader to enter the arena of vulnerabilities and risk in new times and inspire others to follow him to action. Remember MALIA...? Most Aspirational Leaders Inspire Action. Provocateur leaders have that intention to lead and inspire action.

 Provocateurs Awareness. Provocateur Paradigm operates on an assumption that awareness illuminates and thus creates reality. People tend to gravitate towards what they tend to focus on. Provocateur Leaders channelise their awareness to what is relevant, fully in the direction of the problems and possibilities in the new paradigm.

 Provocateurs FDI. Provocateur Leaders have the distinct ability to focus and read the dynamic environment, evaluate the list of alternatives and thereafter discriminate between options available in the unchartered reality to chalk-out a path that what will be new, innovative and would make a cutting edge difference in the new paradigm.Provocateurs have a knack of getting insights using these discriminations finding out of box solutions. This is called the FDI(focus,dissectionand Insight)model.Thus Design Thinking naturally become the aspirational tool and method of the Provocateur leaders.

 Provocateurs Create  Provocateurs. Provocateur leaders are action heroes of new times. They quickly exhort the phantom of old action and act as catatlyst to their teams to form innovative patterns for new action. They inspire their teams to focus on Solutions rather than discussing Problems. Provocateur leaders are captains mandated to navigate their Ships through turbulent seas to new safe shores. They create leaders who inspire the same and creates a never ending chain of provocateurs .Whilst having a correct navigating plan is very necessary to reach safe shores, it has no value if subsequently discovered on a sunk ship ! Provocateur leaders inspire collective leadership rather than individual heroism.

Provocateur Leaders are ordinary men who have the inner zeal to look at the default future differently and chalk their way out to new shores.