Poets, leadership and surfing

Working in a leadership space has made me reflect on my own leadership journey and the importance of balancing action and patience. What has helped, what has hindered and what I’ve noticed. 

I recently had the pleasure of being involved in a well-received leadership development programme. Commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care for Principal Social Workers, Principal Occupational Therapists, Approved Mental Health Professionals and Global Majority aspirant leaders. We have also been fortunate to work with several local areas in delivering the programme at a local level. We’re now excited to be offering the programme on a pay per place model.

All this work in a leadership space has made me reflect on my own leadership journey. What has helped, what has hindered and what I’ve noticed.

Surprisingly, I’ve reflected that surfing and leadership have a lot in common. Hear me out, I promise there is a conceptual connection.

Positive and negative capability

The CQC local authority assessment sets out theme four on Leadership and the LGA summary report 2024, highlighting that for authorities achieving ‘good’:

‘There is strong visible leadership from senior managers who have a good understanding of the challenges faced by the local authority as a result of effective coproduction, engagement and use of data and performance insights.’

So how do we get there? Our Leadership Development Programmes open with concepts of positive capability and negative capability (Simpson et al 2002).

Positive capability reflects what we know, how much we have done and how we can make decisions quickly. This feels like a very familiar measure of ‘successful’ leadership. Of ‘getting things done’ and of being ‘on top of’ our data.

Less talked about is negative capability. This is about the things that we don’t know, starting with an empty space and resisting the urge to just act when feelings of urgency – and sometimes anxiety – are high.

Both negative and positive capability need to be in balance to support effective leadership. The poet Keats is widely attributed as identifying the concept of negative capability when writing to his brothers in 1817. He described it as being:

‘Capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.’

Watching, waiting and not acting

Simpson et al (2002) set out how negative capability can create space to enable good decision-making in complex and difficult situations. They explore the idea that watching, waiting and not acting can lead to experiencing uncertainty and risk.

So, how can we support walking through that uncertainty and risk? Growing in confidence as a leader can support us when working in uncertainty. Knowing your own leadership strengths can also support effective leadership.  

We are working in times of great uncertainty in the sector. In terms of future funding, and policy – such as the NHS 10-year plan, or the future findings of the Casey Review. Being equipped as leaders to navigate this unchartered terrain is critical. 

Leading through change

Our Leadership Development Programmes explore concepts around leading through change and draws on Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s (1969) work exploring the experience of change in terms of endings, transitions and new-beginnings. This can be helpful as a leader. When thinking about how people in your organisation might feel about change, particularly if you consider that Kubler-Ross’s original work was situated in terminal illness, grief and loss.

Too often, we can rely on transactional methods of change management – but change leadership is relational and transformational. It invites us to think about how we hold uncertainty. How we create psychological safety for our teams, and how we use what we don’t know to inform our approach.

‘I feel I need to act’

Having covered, poets and leadership, I wanted to explain how the concept of negative capability made me think about surfing…

As someone who is learning to surf, I have found that when you get into the water you are starting with an empty space, watching the waves, deciding which one to ride. You must resist the urge to jump on a wave that you are not ready for, or one ‘just because’ you have been waiting awhile for the chance.

I notice myself resisting that urge to just jump on a wave because ‘I feel I need to act’. I must recognise what I don’t yet know, be patient and focused. This really resonates with what many leaders in our sector must do in the current climate.

There is something about holding steady and choosing the right moment to act to achieve the best outcome. When you achieve that balance and the best outcome, it is the most glorious feeling. As a leader, when I get the balance right, the feeling of success is a great reward and supports me to keep growing as a leader.