Present Moment Leadership

What does this moment ask of me as a leader?

The Center for Innovative Leadership draws its philosophy from the research and scholarship of Center co-founders Michael Doyle and Christopher Myers, who developed a framework of Present Moment Leadership (PML) based on careful review of existing research and consideration of the challenges facing leaders at all levels in today’s world of work.

Building on decades of scholarship in behavioral and situational theories of leadership, Present Moment Leadership focuses on leadership as the moment-to-moment enactment of differing levels of three interrelated dimensions: Empathy, Competence, and Agility.

• Organizations are more interdependent and collaborative than ever before, and leaders who engage others with empathy are often those best positioned to bring together the diverse experiences, insights, and expertise needed to generate innovative solutions.
• As the world of work grows in complexity, building competence in emerging knowledge domains, as well as core business fundamentals, is necessary to keep pace and guide organizations to innovative solutions.
• Leading modern organizations requires agility and a readiness for change, understanding when to let go of old habits and embrace new ideas, and how to flexibly navigate new challenges and innovations.

Ultimately, the PML model reveals that effective leaders are those who can:

1. Accurately assess the needs of the current moment and
2. Deploy the right combination of empathy, competence, and agility to meet those needs.

Every moment – whether working with a new team, facing an unexpected challenge, or taking over an existing project – presents leaders with a different set of needs, and the most effective leaders find innovative ways to combine the right amount of empathy for others, the right extent of their own skills and competence, and the right degree of agility and willingness to embrace different approaches.