To be successful in his entrepreneurial role, the assertive leader must hold the trust of members whom he is leading. She is likely to hold this trust if she works alongside of or fully integrates in her own practices the collaborative spirit of the Rainbow perspective. Best Practice 2 builds trust. It goes even further. The assertive leader must meet three different criteria with regard to trust. First, members of the group must trust the competencies of the assertive leader (Ruby Red is relevant here). They must believe that this person knows what he is doing. As Heifetz has noted, members of organizations have every right to expect that people who command authority in their organization possess strong problem-solving skills.[vii]
Second, effective assertive leaders must be trusted for their intentions. A whole lot of Azure Blue should be introduced here. Members of the organization will follow assertive leaders only if they believe that these executives truly care about the welfare of those who work for them as well as the welfare of the overall organization. Third, assertive Ruby Red leaders are effective if those who follow them trust their perspectives and values. Some of the rationally oriented sharing of information and perspectives that is found in Thoughtful Golden Yellow is invaluable in producing this third level of trust. Heifetz suggests that predictable values must be present if authority is to be effective. Azure Blue must be present. Members of an organization must know, share and rely on the perspectives and values held by their leaders.[viii] If an assertive leader seems to be quite different from his subordinates, they are less inclined to trust him and are also less inclined to accept either his authority or direction.
If these three forms of trust don’t exist, then an assertive leader must fall back on coercion or manipulation in order to be effective. Ruby Red stands raw and exposed. Without the trust of their followers, Assertive leaders often create work environments that are filled with intimidation, close monitoring, indirect communication, and covert threat. When these conditions exist, trust in the competencies, intentions and perspectives of the leader further drops off, leading to an even greater need for coercion and manipulation. A vicious cycle begins, usually leading to the demise of either the assertive leader or the organization (if the leader is very powerful).
Inappropriate Use of Strengths
The assertive (red) leader needs assistance from the other leadership perspective. Without this assistance and corrective guidance, the assertive leader is most often criticized for lack of purpose or impulsiveness. In an effort to move the organization from contemplation and deliberation to action, the assertive leader often acts for action’s sake, failing to consider a long-term vision or purpose for the organization.
Fight is engaged—but it is engaged against lions that don’t really exist or are actually tigers or hippos (which might be even more dangerous). Assertive leaders, as a result, will often seem to be wandering around without clear direction—looking this way and that way for a crouching lion. They tend to sacrifice the core values of the organization in an attempt to achieve their short-term goals and objectives. Assertive leaders will sometimes mistake the means for the ends, spending insufficient time building broad-based support for a specific set of end points. Ultimately, while they portray themselves as self-sacrificing heroes—the isolated Assertive leader is actually a self-serving ineffective warrior.
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