Here is one example to show how the six intelligent leadership questions can be applied to a leadership challenge experienced by many organisations.
Leadership Challenge:
“Our senior team is reluctant to share decision-making power, even though we say we support distributed leadership.”
Reflection Using the Six ILQs (Intelligent Leadership Questions):
- Why lead at all in this context?
- If leadership is about enabling others to rise, then holding onto control undermines the very reason we lead—transformation through trust.
- Whom are we truly serving?
- The team says it’s about “the organization,” but actions suggest self-preservation. Are we serving legacy or learning?
- How are we leading—and by what method or style?
- Current leadership style is hierarchical and fear-based. A shift toward shared/integrated leadership (Leadership3) is needed.
- With what capability or consciousness?
- The leadership consciousness appears rooted in Leadership1 (Old World—control & predictability). What if we acted from Leadership3 consciousness: embracing uncertainty and co-creation?
- Toward what meaningful ends?
- Distributed leadership isn’t a tactic—it’s a trustful strategy for long-term generative impact. The end should be adaptive capability, not control.
- How might wisdom, empathy, and innovation inform our next move?
- Wisdom asks us to listen; empathy invites courage; innovation suggests we prototype new forms of decision-making, not enforce old hierarchies.
Leadership3 Response:
“Start with one major decision and open it up to a distributed leadership team. Use LINKS360 to identify relational anchors and map influence. Let the act of trust become the message.”