“Subtlety in words creates trust. Subtlety in thought creates depth. Subtlety in emotions creates love. The person who possesses these qualities is always sought after.”
-Lao Tzu
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to coach the CFO of an international organization in India as part of a delightful project that spanned several countries. The primary focus of our work was to improve the relationship (not just communication—I emphasize this point) with his team and to clarify how they could enhance their impact within the organization as a team. However, during our discussions, I noticed that whenever the topic shifted to the leader’s inner world, he would unconsciously steer the conversation back to the individual and collective attitudes and behaviors of the team members.
My path crossed with one of my esteemed mentors, Ken Wilber, in Denver, Colorado, in 2006, and this meeting profoundly influenced my perspective on my life experiences and coaching career. As a mathematics engineer, I find it incredibly valuable to be able to see system-wide and holistic approaches, whether at the individual, team, organizational, or cultural level.
From this point onward, I would like to share with you the All Quadrants approach, which forms the foundation of our ICF ACTP-approved I.C. Integral Coaching™ and I.L. Integral Leadership™ programs that we have been offering abroad since the end of 2018 and in our country since the last quarter of 2020. With this approach as our basis, I hope to contribute to your leadership, your leadership as a team, and ultimately your organizational leadership and the motivation you will create at all these levels.
“We see the world not as it is, but as we are.”
-Anais Nin
Our reactions or responses to situations, events, or people often come unconsciously from four main areas. If we pay attention to our expressions, we will notice that most of the time, they come from the same area, with one of these four perspectives being predominantly used.
The area we give weight to unconsciously limits our views, thoughts, perspectives, and actions. As a leader or leadership team, if we can identify which area we predominantly exist in, the perception that has been transparent to us until now will be broken, allowing us to view, think, and act from other perspectives as well.
When we visualize these areas (Figure-1), the topic becomes easier for all of us to understand:
The core message of a holistic perspective is this: in every situation we encounter—whether in work or personal life—these four quadrants are present at all times and under all circumstances. Each is important and valuable. However, when it comes to leading ourselves or others, the area we need to explore and deepen first is the Upper Left (UL) quadrant.
When a leader who sees and knows themselves in the Upper Left (UL) quadrant turns to their team and realizes that they can now observe and understand them more easily, they will notice that the value they place on the team has increased. This is because they have successfully completed the most difficult and important step of self-awareness and self-reconciliation, and they will approach the team with confidence and inclusivity.
The language and attitudes a person uses provide clues about the quadrant they give weight to in their life. Language is a unique reflection of how a person sees and relates to themselves, others, and the world. Leaders who pay attention to this point can not only recognize the focus, perspective, and emphasis of their own language but also easily perceive the quadrant orientations of their team members and stakeholders by listening to them in these areas.
To clarify the difference and explain it a bit more, let’s consider a scenario: in this scenario, a group of four people is asked to work together on a project, and this is their first team meeting. Each of them starts by saying a few words about being a member of the team and working on their shared project, and here are their opening comments:
The person coming from the Upper Left (UL) quadrant says, “I’m really excited to be working on this project because it’s an opportunity to create something freely. For me, the most important aspect of this project is having a space where I can freely express my ideas and thoughts.”
The person coming from the Upper Right (UR) quadrant says, “I’m energized to be part of such a challenging project where I can showcase my performance. There’s so much to do, but so little time! Let’s dive right in, figure out what needs to be done, and get started. I’m ready to create the action steps and to-do list.”
The person coming from the Lower Left (LL) quadrant says, “We all come from very different backgrounds and skills, so I can understand why the four of us were chosen for this project. It will be crucial for us to be on the same page and to understand that we’re on this journey with a shared purpose.”
The person coming from the Lower Right (LR) quadrant says, “Although the timeline for completing this project is short, the outcome we produce could significantly impact our core business infrastructure. Our starting point should be to establish the structure that will take us to our goal and clarify the rules that we will all adhere to.”
These are typical opening comments from four people in a meeting. Each is a different yet realistic expression reflecting the predominant quadrant of the speaker. At this point, it would be accurate to describe the quadrant influencing each person’s perspective as a lens or filter through which they view themselves and the world around them.
If we detail this approach within the quadrants (Figure-2), we can understand the perspectives from which leaders, teams, and organizations view their narratives and attitudes, and by incorporating the parts that are left out, we can form a complete picture.
The example we shared reflects what four people with different quadrant orientations might say in a meeting, and the quadrant they gravitate towards builds the view they listen to and see at any given moment. This view is directly related to their relationship with themselves, others, and everything else. Imagine a leader who sees the whole picture, analyzing these ideas, perspectives, and methods at every meeting and step. How wonderful would that be?
Speaking of team relationships, we all experience how challenging it has become to fill the concept of efficiency and produce value with motivation in an era where speed, punctuality, city life, and stress have escalated so much in the 21st century.
Especially in these days when we are going through crises, and everyone is turning inward, more complex but equally valuable days await leaders in motivating their teams. Being there for your colleagues and stakeholders during tough times, remembering that they and you are not just work robots but also humans, and conveying this through your actions is incredibly valuable.
It is worth reminding ourselves once again that using politeness and thoughtful behavior as part of your life is one of the most important resources for a leader.
During the quarantine and remote working period, many people started experiencing this process alone and became excessively tired. One of the reasons for this is quite clear: managers who never stopped holding meetings via Zoom, Teams, and similar applications from early morning until after sunset as a way to increase their relationship with the team. Do you think that including team members’ individuality without time and boundary limits is equivalent to motivating them? What if I told you that staying in touch with your team and stakeholders, even from afar, is very easy and warms their hearts? You may be far away from congratulating Mr. Yusuf, who delivered the project before the deadline, or hugging Ms. Ceren, who had a difficult week, but sending a thank-you bouquet or a box of chocolates with a note saying “We value you, and you’ll get through these days :)” actually increases work motivation and helps strengthen the bond within the team. I’m sure you already know this and have done it many times, but what I want to emphasize here is finding your own way to make this positive behavior a habit.
Now, lean back and imagine this: you are the general manager of a company with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, both producing and selling domestically and internationally, and while heading towards your 2020 goals, you were caught in the pandemic along with the rest of the world in the first quarter. Your first action was to take measures with your management team to ensure the health and safety of all your team members across the organization, regardless of time differences (unless you are 100 years old, this is your first pandemic experience). In this way, you managed to survive the first wave with minimal damage, but your Chairman of the Board criticized you in front of your management team and other board members for not following the rules and policies and nicely told you not to act without informing him from now on.
Now take a deep breath and lean back again, and imagine this: you are the CFO, you successfully managed your work during the pandemic and supported your team members. Your success and that of your company attracted the attention of professionals known as “Head Hunters,” and you received offers one after another. The latest offer is your dream job and position. Therefore, you decided to leave your current job. During a period when the pandemic is still ongoing, leaving one of the most critical positions in the company, the general manager scheduled a meeting with the entire executive board at 7:30 p.m. on midweek evening, and even though you didn’t really want to, you joined the Zoom call, and just 10 minutes in, your doorbell rang, and when you opened the door, you were greeted with a special menu and drink. At that moment, you realized you were at the virtual farewell dinner your general manager had organized for you.
At this point, two main questions: Which leader would you prefer to work with? Which leader would you want to be?