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MODULE 06 PROJECT: Leadership Styles

Loren Smitley

Arizona State University

OGL 365 - Module 06

August 09, 2022

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MODULE 06 PROJECT: Leadership Styles

INTRODUCTION

According to Laloux (2014) the level of advancement of an organization is

manifested through the accepted paradigms of its leader. This is important to note,

because as we begin to observe the various organizations in our societies and their

individual members we will notice behaviors that plot anywhere on the spectrum from

“Red” to “Teal”. Despite this variety, when we look to lead an organization toward a

“Teal” culture it becomes clear that the gatekeeper for such an endeavor lies within the

authority to act and maintain; which in our society by nature is the accepted and

recognized leader of the organization.

PART I

RED: Genghis Khan (Conqueror)

"All who surrender will be spared; whoever does not surrender but opposes with struggle and

dissension, shall be annihilated." ~ Genghis Khan

In a “Red” organization we find authority is hoarded and utilized in a manner to

enforce the ideals of the one holding that power or authority. I chose Genghis Khan as

an example for this level of evolution because this was his method of bringing success

to his organizations endeavors; conquering the weak and adding power to his

organization. Ghengis Khan started his career killing his older half-brother to take over

as the head of the household. Afterward as the years went by he proved his prowess as

a warrior and made allies with those who respected and feared his power. Ghengis Khan
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was known for slaying any who opposed him and only allowing those undoubtedly loyal

to him within his circle of influence (History.com Editors, 2009). It should be noted

though that as Ghengis Khan’s organization grew we see him adopt laws and processes

that would better align with “Amber” concepts of leadership. This no doubt came about

out of sheer necessity due to the vast size of his empire. However, Ghengis Khan

utilized power to enforce compliance to his ideals for the entirety of his reign.

AMBER: Moses (Hebrew Prophet, Teacher, and Leader)

“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse- the blessing if you obey the commands

of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the

LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which

you have not known.” ~ Moses

According to Laloux (2014) an “Amber” organization is centered around the

concept of right and wrong. Amber organizations seek to establish an order that is

based on correct principles and followed to the letter by all members of that

organization. I chose Moses to illustrate an “Amber” leader because this was exactly

what Moses was pursuing. Under divine direction Moses revealed laws that would

establish the required method of conduct for those who desired to remain within good

standing of the Hebrew God. Those that became a part of this organization got so good

at conformity that several centuries later another Prophet revealed that they had lost

sight of the purpose of those laws and that their established hierarchies were
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preventing the intended wellbeing of its members (“Moses | Story, Summary,

Significance, & Facts | Britannica,” 2022).

ORANGE: Henry Ford (Entrepreneur)

“Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

~ Henry Ford

In an “Orange” level of evolution we move away from a black and white

perception of the environment around us and begin to investigate the ambiguous in the

hopes of discovering more efficient and profitable pursuits. Henry Ford was known for

promoting efficiency and the Ford assembly lines quickly became a benchmark for the

automotive industry in America and around the world. Henry Ford and his organization

centered around the concept of splitting jobs into smaller more manageable evolutions

that supported a more efficient use of the company's resources and production (“Henry

Ford Biography,” 2020).

GREEN: Mahatma Gandhi (Political Activist)

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

There are two distinct shadows that stem from organizations that operate at an

evolutionary level of “Orange”; these are corporate greed and the exploitation of our

planet’s resources (Laloux 2014). As we move forward in social evolution we cross a

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barrier and become aware that there is more to life than the proclaimed successes of

“Orange” organizations. Mahatma Gandhi was one such individual that made such a

connection as he personally witnessed the distress imposed on lower class members of

society by organizations who solely sought profit and the capitalization of planetary

resources. Mahatma Gandhi led non-violent protests with the pursuit of establishing

societal norms that increased equality and the sustainability of healthy thriving

communities.

TEAL: Doug Woods (Co-founder of DPR Construction)

According to Laloux (2014) the “Teal” level of evolution has three primary breakthroughs

which are self-management, wholeness, and evolutionary purpose. Self-management

breakthroughs of the “Teal” level introduce a management that moves away from hierarchical

and bureaucratic pyramids to fluid systems of distributed authority (Laloux, 2014).

“Only had the privilege of meeting Doug maybe 6 times. From a guy who came up from the field

and had a limited education, Doug really showed me what “no rank in the room” meant. Don’t ever

forget, we exist to build great things. Support your team. Ever forward.”

~ Robbie Thomason

It is clear that Doug really believed that there was no need for the title of a leader, just the need

for the team to support each other which has been passed on into the DPR Construction

ideology. The next breakthrough is wholeness; where members of the organization are invited to

drop their personal mask and bring all of who they are to the organization (Laloux, 2014).
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"When I first started at DPR, I was visiting the Redwood City office and a guy walked in and sat

across from me. It appeared he had just come in from the jobsite and I assumed a

superintendent. He asked what I did and who I was, I asked what job he was on, we chatted about

nothing in particular (and he laughed at my joke...so I immediately liked him) and he walked away.

I had no idea it was Doug. I felt really lucky to work for a company where founders would BS with

anyone squatting at the desk across from them."

~ Jamie Moore

Doug Woods believed that one of the most important aspects of their organization was

its people, not just for their skills but for who they were. The third breakthrough is

evolutionary purpose; a sense of direction that is organic in nature and grows with the

organization naturally (Laloux, 2014). When reviewing DPR construction, its growth and

commitment, since its conception it is easy to see that this was one of Doug Woods

fundamental principles as it is clearly stated by “Remembering the D in DPR,” 2021:

DPR is a company built on trust, shared leadership and collaboration. Doug used

to always say, “no one is as smart as everyone.” Part of building DPR was to

make sure that the company endured from one generation to the next and

leadership transitions were executed seamlessly.

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PART II

3. Being Oneself

“Teal” leaders inspire, promote, and defend an atmosphere that allows each

member of the organization to safely bring all of who they are to the organization. To

me this is an essential foundation for establishing an organization capable of evolving

or establishing itself at the evolutionary level of “Teal”. Such an atmosphere allows

members to process and recover from situations whether they were good or bad,

essentially making the whole organization wiser through the process. This also allows

each member of the organization to truly claim ownership of the organization and put in

effort that is centered around the purpose of the organization.

6. The Pond in the Valley

This second principle goes in tandem with “Being Oneself”. Leaders who operate

on the “Teal” level need to let go of their “ego” and realize that they must trust in the

capacity and decisions of those within the organization. Letting go of things like pride,

fear, and doubt will introduce an atmosphere where members of the organization can

really step up and cause an effect that would not have been achievable if the leader had

an ego.

8. Water

This one really hit home with me. “Teal” is all about embracing complexity and

being flexible; I think this aligns perfectly with this principle of Tao. To me a “Teal ''
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leader transcends the perceived differences in the members of their organization and

instead focuses on the purpose of the organization. They would leverage themselves to

bless their teammates with the necessary power and resources to manifest the purpose

of their organization. This also would introduce an atmosphere in the organization that

promoted the transcendence of societal norms and allowed a clear focus on the

purpose of the organization.

CONCLUSION

The problems experienced by different organizations can be directly tied to the

accepted and promoted paradigms of the organization's leader. For me I do not see a

downside to leading in a “Teal” capacity with the exception of having to find the freedom

and support to do so. It is clear to me that we all recognize the deficiencies inherent to

the Red, Amber, Orange, and even Green levels of evolution; but the one that strikes the

strongest chord in my mind is the lack of emphasis on wholeness as stated by Laloux

(2014). This would and is my reason for endeavoring to aspire to “Teal'' practices. They

are the most satisfying principles to pursue despite their need to be promoted,

instituted, and defended because such practices are currently not the norm but have the

most potential for a lasting legacy of value.

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References:

Heider, J. (2014). The Tao of leadership: Lao Tzu's Tao te ching adapted for a new age.

Green Dragon Books.

Henry Ford Biography. (2020). Retrieved August 9, 2022, from Ford Corporate website:

https://corporate.ford.com/articles/history/henry-ford-biography.html

History.com Editors. (2009, November 9). Genghis Khan. Retrieved August 9, 2022, from

HISTORY website:

https://www.history.com/topics/china/genghis-khan#:~:text=Mongol%20leader%

20Genghis%20Khan%20(1162,of%20central%20Asia%20and%20China.

Laloux, F. (2014). Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired

by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness. Nelson Parker. Kindle Edition.

Moses | Story, Summary, Significance, & Facts | Britannica. (2022). In Encyclopædia

Britannica. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moses-Hebrew-prophet

Remembering the D in DPR. (2021). Retrieved August 10, 2022, from DPR Construction

website: https://www.dpr.com/company/remembering-the-d-in-dpr

‌Self-Perform Work. (2020). Retrieved August 10, 2022, from DPR Construction website:

https://www.dpr.com/construction/expertise/self-perform-work#meet-our-leader

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