Tweet

Third Generation Leadership - why we need it NOW!

Written by: Douglas Long

Article Overview: If ever there was a "wake up call" as to the necessity to shift our leadership understanding and approach then this Gulf of Mexico disaster should be it. The time is ripe for facilitating a shift to a Third Generation Leadership world view as our dominant paradigm.

Third Generation Leadership - why we need it NOW!

In May 2010 there was a massive crude oil leak disaster on an oil rig leased by the oil giant, BP, in the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon rig operated and owned by contractor Transocean exploded and sank, killing 11 men and triggering the leak. In the hours after the accident, BP and the Coast Guard said there appeared to be no leak, but the estimate was later revised to 1,000, then 5,000 barrels per day. In this last week, US government scientists raised estimates for the amount coming from its leak to 40,000 barrels per day from their earlier revised forecast of 20,000 barrels. The US Coast Guard accused the company of failing to have the right equipment and back-up plans and Rear Admiral James Watson blamed the company for lacking the necessary equipment to capture all the oil flowing from its catastrophic leak. The negative effect on the physical environment has been immense. Plumes of oil have formed beneath the surface of the ocean and the oil slick is drifting in the wind and currents to affect shorelines, flora, and wildlife as far away as the US state of Florida and other countries such as Cuba. Those relying on the sea for their livelihoods have had their sources of income removed and entire communities face the possibility of total devastation. There is also, to use a term so loved by the military, 'collateral damage' in that the value of BP stock has plunged and its shareholders have had their dividends affected because BP will be paying for the cleanup as well as, probably, to all those who have lost their livelihoods - and those costs will be in the billions of dollars.

Of course, this is not the first time off-shore oil rigs have had problems. Over the years there have been issues from time to time in the North Sea and as recently as 2009 there was a serious problem close to Australia when the West Atlas oil rig in the Timor Sea, operated by the Thai-owned PTTEP Australasia, blew on August 21 and leaked over 400,000 litres of oil, gas and condensate into the Timor Sea at a rate reported variously as being from 300 to 1,200 barrels a day.

Unfortunately oil spill disasters are not new. On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker en route to Long Beach California hit a reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound and spilled an estimated minimum 40.9million litres (or 250,000 barrels) of crude oil. Until recently, this was considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters ever to occur. The oil eventually covered 2,100km of coastline and 28,000km² of ocean.

Given that both the history of and the potential for disaster was well known and clearly documented, why was BP's response in the Gulf of Mexico so poor? While at the time of writing (June 2010) the leak is still continuing, full investigation into the spill is yet to occur and all the facts are not known, it does seem reasonable to assume that inadequate attention had been paid to any 'worst case' scenarios. And I suggest that this is totally in accord with the Second Generation Leadership world view that dominates both big business and the political scene. Second Generation Leadership - a view that focuses primarily on economic growth and success - dominates and, apparently those in charge do not operate at the thinking stratum level necessary for dealing with the degree of ambiguity and complexity that is involved.

If ever there was a "wake up call" as to the necessity to shift our leadership understanding and approach then this Gulf of Mexico disaster should be it. The time is ripe for facilitating a shift to a Third Generation Leadership world view as our dominant paradigm.

Third Generation Leadership is fully cognisant of the need to run organisations profitably. There is no conflict between economic success and Third Generation Leadership. The difference lies in the path to this success. Third Generation Leadership sees the overall interaction between all the systems at play - both in the short term and the very long term - and then seeks to ensure that any negative implications are minimised both now and in the future by having detailed and appropriate contingency plans in the event of accidents occurring.

President Obama, the people of the United States (especially those in the affected areas), and most of the rest of the world are rightly angry at what has occurred. But the problem is not just that BP and/or Transocean failed to adequately consider all of the possible issues and scenarios and to have available the means for dealing with these. Those responsible for the legislation allowing and governing the operation of these rigs are also culpable - in drafting and enforcing any such legislation they clearly did not adequately consider worst case scenarios and how these could be averted.

There are calls now for tighter regulations and better policing in relation to off-shore exploration and drilling in the USA. This is good and necessary. There needs to be an equally strong call for a change in our dominant leadership approach. The approach of personal greed and profit before all else - an approach which can lead to excessive cost reduction and the cutting of corners to obtain fast results - is again proving to be seriously flawed.

Third Generation Leadership is not the magic wand that will fix everything and create utopia. But Third Generation Leadership will help us avoid the situationwhere yesterday's answers have become today's problems.

Related Articles
  The Battle for Talent is Heating Up, Are You Ready?
  A Battle for the Mind
  Third Generation Leadership Develops Self Confident People
  Does Age Matter?
  Demand Generation Training | $99 via email

Article Tags: disaster, exxon valdez, gulf of mexico, oil spills, third generation leadership, timor sea, wake up call



Related Forum Posts
Re: Traditonal Demographics Do NOT Work with Generation V - That article is the first time I ever heard the term. I found this definition - [i:189o61sy]The term Generation V (for Virtual) is used to describe the online culture in which relationships, services and communication are carried primarily and preferably through electronic media. Generation Virtual is made up of people from multiple demographic age groups who make their social connections primarily online - through virtual worlds in online games, in social networks, as bloggers, or through posting and reading user-generated content.[/i:189o61sy] I like the targeting options the internet offers much better than the typical demographics. Age is particular is not nearly as effective in finding a target market unless you want to target kids. Too many of the typical demographics rely on stereotypes and just seems outdated for many types of promotion. That's one of the reasons this article title caught my eye. Shri
Re: Business Women Peer Mentoring Spotlight - Hi Everyone, Gosh, I REALLY appreciate your concrete feedback. This was far more than I expected and I'm glad you said what you thought straight out. Each of you have shared something of value and I want to take some more time to think and really go over what each of you have said. However, I can see there are some things I need to change right away. What an interesting point about a NEW program perhaps making people think they are guinea pigs! This is NOT what I want to convey! It's funny how we can see some things so clearly in others while not always seeing it for ourselves! I must admit there are a few things I've been meaning to change (like my bio which is very outdated). Obviously, these things need to be higher on my priority list. You caught me like the plumber who puts his clients first and doesn't get around to fixing his own tap! As far as my target market, I do feel quite strongly about working with Women Leaders and doing Leadership Coaching with them. It's non-negotiable in my books. In my Executive Coaching training, the terms "Leaders" and "Executives" are interchangable. To me, an Executive is a Leader and so is the Business Woman or Entrepreneur who is CEO of her own business. I love working with decision makers! What I did learn is that I need to avoid opening up the Leadership term beyond what I described above. I'm also wondering if there is a misunderstanding with the general public as to what Leadership Coaching really is. Leadership Coaching is all about developing your leadership skills, both as a people manager and in more effectively running and growing the business. There is ALWAYS room for growth in some way. As well, sometimes, we just need a sounding board to clarify what our next BEST step is. In fact, if a woman thinks she has nothing to work on, then we aren't a good Client/Coach fit anyway. How can she grow if she doesn't see the value of expressing ALL of the great ability within her? How can her company grow if she doesn't see the value of strategic planning for the next best level? Thanks again to you all! I will go back to my website and really question whether I am conveying the right message. I got more than I bargained for in this Spotlight... you generously offered way more than I was asking. I think we could be on to something great for the Forum. Now it's time to let someone else have the spotlight. It would be great if everyone took a turn! In gratitude, Tami
Re: 3 Ways I Used Twitter To Grow My Business This Week - Hi Olivia, It seems you are working in the area of leadership area. Is Leadership = Learning? I am looking for some good books on strategy? Which one do you recommend? Thanks, Robert
Re: Google Places Review | How to Get a Review on Google Places? - Hi Evan, Yes, I am planning more. I have multiple videos coming out this year on: Social media marketing Email marketing Lead Generation Organic search marketing Conversion rate optimization Analytics Content marketing Paid search marketing I am looking for SEO / Internet Marketing questions people have. I enjoy producing videos answer tuff SEO questions. Let me know if you are any of your members have any they want answered. Jeff
Different Hats - CEO Sales & Marketing & Leadership Development Company Strategic Vision 10 Alliances & Growth Strategies 10 Hiring & Managing People 8 Mentoring 8-9 Strategic Planning for Clients 10 Execution of Marketing Campaigns 9-10 (i have great people who do the nitty gritty) Financial Management 9 Bookkeeping 3 (outsourced as I really hate the fine details like GST0 Administrative Follow Up 6-7 (again have great staff) Writing & Publishing 9 (getting better all the time!) Speaking 10 (so I have been told) Self Promotion 9-10 Web development & Promotion 6-7 (learning more and have brought on players who are 10+) Babysitting Employees (1 - wont do it, that's why I work so hard to hire and motivate the people I have) Great topic Kevin!! Jude


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Starting A Set of Books

Effective Email Marketing Requires Planning

Top 5 Tips for Better Online Ads

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.