Chapter 2: Habit 1. Artistry: The Mega Habit

The essence of this chapter is that the postmodern condition requires the finesse of the artist. Strategic leaders are essentially artists and since they work in a multifaceted reality they must apply a multifaceted set of leadership actions to turn the “Leader's Wheel.” They lead, manage, and then lead again. In this chapter, I introduce the artist's palette of actions that strategic leaders use to manage continuity or change. I also illustrate the pyramids of frame breaking and frame sustaining change that cue actions.

Stability and change has been the constant yin and yang of the managerleader debate for decades. The consensus has been that in order to be successful during times of turbulence, organizations need leaders who can engage in, and balance, stability and change. During the past 4 decades there has been much scholarly debate about how to accomplish this seemingly unattainable goal. In the following paragraphs I describe the foundational underpinnings of strategic leadership and strategic leader actions. I begin by reviewing a short history of the leadership management debates.