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Shaquanda Stephenson
Dr. Michael Pryzdia, Senior Lecturer
OGL 365
July 7, 2022
Leadership Styles (With a Meditation on the Tao)
Every leader has a style with which they rule, guide or influence those they have a
specific type of influence over. Their personal style dictates their organization’s
atmosphere, productivity, morale, etc. As Frederic Laloux points out in his book,
Reinventing Organization, the everything in the organization should line up with and
follow the lead of the CEO; this is true for all organizational types.
The level of consciousness a leader operates from directly influences their leadership
style. In the book Reinventing Organizations, Frederic Laloux meticulously outlines
different color-coded organizational types and their objectives. Each level or color
identifies an organization type and the type of leadership, and directly correlates it with
the level of consciousness we were in during its time. Although none of the
organizational types have become extinct, they are not all dominant at our present time.
Herein are some existing leadership types as they relate to Laloux’s color coded
organizations.
Part One: Organizational Leadership Styles and Examples
Impulsive Red – Matteo Messina Denaro, Sicilian Mob Boss
Modern day Red organization examples are mobs and gangs; those who use force as a
means of ‘effective’ leadership. According to Frederic Laloux, Impulsive Red
organizations use authority, scare tactics and fear to keep those under the organization
in order (Laloux, p36). The head of the Sicilian Mobb is Matteo Messina Denaro, also
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known as Diabolik (Wikipedia, 2022). There were several bosses before him, but he is
seen as the worst of them all. I chose him for this example because of his leadership
skills and ability to lead from his hiding place, but still build and amass a fortune.
According to an article on Mirror, a Ukranian blog site, this particular mob, under
Denaro’s leadership is worth an estimated $115 Billion in UK currency. Denaro is not just
into illegal business, but they also have a string of legit businesses. The Sicilian mob boss
has been in hiding since 1993, but continues to lead the syndicate using tactics like
extortion and intimidation to gain ground; there’s no news there, these are the very
characteristics of these types of organizations (Unknown, Meet the Boss). Laloux said
organizations like this use continual exertions of power to remain in their positions. The
same can be said for their ‘CEO’ who has a reputation for killing and womanizing. His
reputation puts fear in people’s hearts and is undoubtedly the reason why he can rule
with an iron fist, even in hiding.
Conformist Amber – Ras Baraka, Mayor of Newark, NJ
Amber organizations, according to Frederic Laloux in his highly acclaimed book,
Reinventing Organizations, is a step above the totalitarian ruled red organization. He
says that they are self-disciplined and self-controlled because they are truly based on
doing the right thing (Laloux, p19). They have clear roles and thrive off of the predictable
hierarchy of traditional roles where the person at the top is the head honcho in charge.
Government is a classic example of a conformist Amber organization because it is ruled
through processes and rarely changes what the past has dictated; instead they comply
and reinforce, until a young, fresh mayor took the seat. I chose Honorable Mayor Ras
Baraka because he leads a place I call home. To see the things he has been able to
accomplish, even within one term, makes him noteworthy in my book. Yes, he leads a
Comformist Amber organization and uses his influence to get things done, but those are
just tools he uses to further his agenda for change and empowerment.
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Mayor Ras Baraka is one of eight children born to activists Amiri and Amina Baraka. He is
an author, politician, and former educator. He chose to follow in his father’s footsteps
and take positions that afforded him the opportunity to make changes that positively
effected the plight of his community. In his first inaugural speech he called himself
radical and went on to bring down crime in the city of Newark through reforms every
year since he entered office. He called in Aqeela Sherills from Los Angeles to help
spearhead Newark Community Street Team because he knew there needed to be a
different approach, long term, to tackling crime in the city. Sherills was quoted saying
Baraka has a ‘reformed mentality’ (Remillard).
Baraka has also brought in lucrative jobs for the cities residents. Among his
accomplishments is a deal with Amazon and new affordable housing for low income
families. He created a multi-level partnership called Hire.Buy.Live. to help elevate the
economy and living conditions of the community he serves (Meet the Honorable
Mayor). Under his leadership, the city has a new, stronger heart beat. Baraka has a
history of activism, promoting education and not being afraid to create what’s needed
for the outcomes he desires. Although he can be seen as radical, but respected, he is still
a government leader, executing his projects within the confines of the Amber
organization he has sworn his duty to.
Achievement Orange – Marvin R. Ellison, CEO of Lowes Companies
This type of organization, according to Laloux, consists of three major breakthroughs
that give it its status: innovation, accountability and meritocracy (Laloux, p26). I chose to
represent the CEO of Lowes for this organizational type because of an impressive
conversation I had with a Lowes employee while driving Uber.
Marvin R. Ellison, CEO of Lowes Companies, has a leadership style, mentality and track
record that exhibit his ability to propel companies forward with a leadership style that
matches Achievement Orange. The employee I spoke with voiced how Ellison
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implemented things and went the extra mile for them during the height of the epidemic.
There was a pride in this voice that has become rare among employees these days.
The Lowes website boasts about Ellison, from 2008-2014, improving customer service
and overall efficiency across the retail brand Author Unknown, Marvin). In a write-up on
Emory Goizueta Business School’s website, Ellison’s leadership style is noted to be about
finding ways to compete in the market, but doing so with integrity Goizueta School). He
focuses on accountability, visits stores and connects with associates via video. These are
practices he uses to help associates see the opportunity for growth and advancement.
All in all, everything about his style grows sales thus pleasing investors, inspires
employees and builds with customers. He is a great example of leadership in
Achievement Orange.
Pluralist Green – Khaatim Sherrer El, CEO of Clinton Hill Community Action
Laloux’s chart at the end of Chapter 1.1 defines Green organizations as being “focused
on culture and empowerment to achieve extraordinary employee motivation” (Laloux,
p36). Searching for a CEO to fit the bill, my personal client, Khaatim Sherrer El came
directly to mind. Having worked with Sherrer El for more than five years, I’ve seen,
experienced and been influenced by his leadership style, and how that style has aided in
his organization’s growth. His influence and why I chose him for pluralist green isn’t
about large grant procurements, organizational reach and community partnerships. It’s
actually his leadership style.
Clinton Hill Community Action is a Green organization, but Khaatim’s leadership style
and office organization has glimmers of Teal. His deputy director, Rhenotha Whitaker,
and myself were speaking about how well he treats the employees because, through
them, his vision is accomplished. They are largely self-managed with successes
measured only by event turn out success. They have Fridays off, a two week ‘bonus’
vacation, and can even take working vacations and work remotely! He generously gives
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$200 wellness checks every month and regular raises, with no specific time of the year
or length of service in mind; everything is performance based. Khaatim hosts employee
birthday parties at his home, gives extra days off for bigger holidays and allows single
parents the freedom without consequence to take care of their children, including
leaving early for half day dismissals or emergencies. It’s his leadership style that gives a
voice to everyone in the room and being willing to compromise if the team ‘over rules’
his ideas in an effort to prove they are a team, not a dictatorship.
I personally feel that because of the stress free environment he has built for his
employees, he has been able to form partnerships with Hyacinth, RW Healthcare
System, City of Newark, and countless organizations to transform an entire section of the
city he serves. I recently did some graphics for the grand opening of a brand new state of
the art childcare center with sleek design and advanced technology to equip the
community’s youth for tomorrow. CHCA is one of the managing partners of the facility.
Sherrer El is a master at partnering with or pulling together people to partner, even
when he was a consultant in his firm, Results Driven Consulting (Sherrer El, Khaatim,
Results). He simply transferred those skills to CHCA and is making massive strides, all
within five years of the non-profit opening! It’s no wonder his motto is Together We Can
(Sherer El, Khaatim, Clinton).
Part Two: Organizational Leadership Styles and Examples
The website Yogapedia made several attempts to break down what Tao means, but as it
relates to the Teal organizational leader, it says, “…tao is used more generically as the art
of doing something or performing a skill in harmony with that something's essential
nature – for example, the tao of cooking, the tao of bowling, the tao of golf and even the
tao of yoga” (Unknown Author, What is Tao). The essential nature of Teal organizations is
to have this consistent, fluid movement that represents its evolving life force and people
working within it who assist its agenda. The CEO, according to Laloux, determines the
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foundation of such movement. It is the consciousness of the Teal CEO that determines
the organic fluidity of the organization (Laloux, p239).
In Teal, the CEO has a new definition of its role nothing like that of previous
organizations; they have broken through and evolved. They experience a power shift
where decisions are left to teams, but at the same time, their own level of consciousness
determines how far they can go. In my opinion, within Teal, the CEO and even those set
aside to manage teams as needed, should continually work on themselves spiritually and
naturally for better leadership and influence.
In the book The Tao of Leadership, John Heider speaks of how Tao Te Ching unifies the
leader’s way of life and their skillset to create their path; a path that directly correlates
with the advancement of the organization (Heider, p5). I found three Tao, or principles,
that can assist the CEO in their new role within the Teal organization: selflessness, water
and being a midwife.
#7 Selflessness
The imagery of the selflessness Tao spoke volumes about how leadership, absent of
power struggles and lording over people as a superior lends a way for them to work
together, in harmony towards their goal. They are free from their ego, elevated and
humbled in their mindset. In the picture, you can’t tell what role either man holds, but
you can see they both are serving the rice crops so they can grow properly and feed the
village (Heider, p8).
In Christianity, I’ve learned that a minister is a servant to the people, assisting them in
achieving God’s plan for their life. We serve wisdom and prayer among other things.
Working together and upholding that principle is a choice. Whichever man in the picture
is the ‘leader’ is making a choice. Absent of ego, you understand it’s about the greater
good, the bigger picture, and helping further its cause. Essentially, selflessness helps
others, but it also elevates the leader. This is Teal: the evolving and letting go of self in
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order to experience breakthroughs that further the purpose and cause of the
organization.
#8 Water
In chapter 3.1, Necessary conditions of his book, Laloux lays out the importance of trust
and the role of the CEO needing to maintain trust not only for themselves, but the
organization as a whole. It is the trust that will keep the Teal structure in place (Laloux,
p241.
For me, water represents what you cannot control, but it also strengthens what you can
control. Speaking spiritually, there is a Bible story of a man who steps out of a boat to
walk atop the water towards Jesus. The man was able to walk on water because he
trusted Jesus, but when his trust deviated, he began to sink. On the other hand, Jesus,
the CEO, maintained His trust level and carried the man back to the boat. He did not tell
him directly how to trust nor how to hold on to it, but he demonstrated it in action.
Water leads and guides with fluidity. You can’t grasp or control it, but you can control
yourself, how you feel, what you believe, etc. and those things are what guide you to
being able to trust the movement of the water without trying to interfere with its
course. The same can be said of a CEO in a Teal organization.
#17 Being a Midwife
Laloux speaks of the CEO having to get used to their new role. They aren’t as active, but
they do play a vital role. This text seems to have that new CEO role defined as far as
what not to do. The CEO needs guidance not on how to be a CEO and dictate, but how to
assist, suggest and maintain. They are used to running everything, but as the midwife,
they assist the process, make suggestions, step minimally in to keep things moving in the
right direction. This is a more humble role than the ever present, feared and/or revered
traditional CEO.
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The imagery used in Heider’s book for Being a Midwife is that of two stems with multiple
leaves or flowers growing from it. From my analytical point of view, I see the seeds
planted, the sun that shines and the watering needed to produce the fruit. This
essentially is what a midwife does. They do what’s needed to assist the growth process
and subsequent flourishing not only for them to see, but for other and their personal
benefit.
Conclusion
In my time, I’ve learned that leadership is not for the faint of heart, nor for the un-
yielded ego. It requires intentional actions, reactions and an incredible amount of
humbleness because you represent something solely judged on what a person views or
experiences through you. The Teal organization demands that you evolve, but it also
allows you to see the possibility of what that personal self-growth and trust in others
can reward you with. The Tao, principles, as outlined in John Heider’s book are wisdom
tools or nuggets to assist any CEO looking to breakthrough and evolve into the Teal
organizational leadership structure.
Works Citation
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1. Author Unknown. “Our Strategy.” Lowe's Corporate, Lowe's Corporate, 6 July
2022, https://corporate.lowes.com/who-we-are/our-strategy.
2. Author Unknown. “Marvin R. Ellison: Chairman, President & Chief Executive
Officer.” Lowe's Corporate, 6 July 2022, https://corporate.lowes.com/who-we-
are/lowes-leadership/executive-leadership/marvin-r-ellison.
3. Goizueta School of Business. The Ladder To Leadership, Emory University:
Goizueta School of Business, https://goizueta.emory.edu/profile/marvin-ellison.
Accessed 6 July 2022.
4. Sherrer El, Khaatim. “About Us.” Clinton Hill Community Action, 2019,
http://www.clintonhillaction.org/about-us.
5. Sherrer El, Khaatim. Results Driven Consulting, Khaatim Sherrer El,
http://www.resultsdrivenconsulting.com/.
6. Wikipedia contributors. "Matteo Messina Denaro." Wikipedia, The Free
Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Jun. 2022. Web. 7 Jul. 2022.
7. Remillard, Mark, and Aaron Ferrer. “Gun Violence in America: Newark.” ABC
News, ABC News Network, 30 July 2021, https://abcnews.go.com/US/gun-
violence-america-newark/story?id=79148257.
8. “Meet the Honorable Mayor Ras J. Baraka.” Meet the Mayor, City of Newark,
https://www.newarknj.gov/city-mayor.
9. Author Unknown. “Meet the Boss of Italy's Biggest Business: The Ruthless Don
Running the £115billion Mafia.” Mirror, 14 Jan. 2012,
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/meet-boss-italys-biggest-business-
158429. UPDATED23:40, 7 Feb 2012
10. Laloux, Frederic. Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations
Inspired by the next Stage of Human Consciousness. Nelson Parker, 2014.
11. Heider, John. The Tao of Leadership: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching Adapted for a New
Age. Bantam Books, 1985.
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12. Unknown Author. “What Is Tao? - Definition from Yogapedia.” Yogapedia.com,
https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/9801/tao.
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