Generative Leadership
Most boards are solid at the basics. Review the financials. Keep an eye on KPIs. Approve the strategy. Ask a few clarifying questions that don’t rock the boat.
But when it comes to real leadership - the kind that stretches thinking, reframes issues, and creates room for something new - it’s easy for boards to coast.
That’s where generative leadership comes in. It’s not a trendy new governance term. It’s the difference between a board that plays defense and one that moves things forward sustainably.
What is generative leadership?
It’s the creative, often uncomfortable, sense-making space where big questions live. Not the tidy agenda items. Not the well-packaged reports. The conversations that start with, "What’s really going on here?" or "What might we be missing?"
And let’s be clear. Generative leadership doesn’t replace fiduciary oversight or strategic planning. It strengthens them. It’s the layer that helps boards get ahead of complexity, not just react to it. Strategy without insight is guesswork. Oversight without purpose is just box-checking.
Here are three ways I’ve seen it show up:
1. Using a crisis to shift direction
A board faced a sudden CEO departure. Instead of scrambling to replace the person, a few directors slowed things down and asked, "What kind of leadership do we need next?" That pause sparked a deeper conversation about values, future needs, and culture. It wasn’t a detour. It was the real work. And it led to a much better hire.
2. Letting a story change the agenda
At a board retreat, someone shared a story about a junior manager who fixed a persistent issue using creativity and grit. It wasn’t planned. But the story shifted the room. The board moved from discussing operational performance to exploring how innovation actually happens on the ground. That one story reframed their whole discussion about culture and impact on future poential.
3. Making space for unexpected voices
An insightful Chair invited a group of young external stakeholders to speak to the board before a major vote on a new initiative. Not a check-the-box consultation. A real, unfiltered conversation about impact and intention. It changed the dynamic and influenced the outcome in ways that strengthened the organization. Generative leadership shows up when boards stretch the boundaries of who gets to be in the room and what gets to be said.
Why it matters
We’re leading in a time of uncertainty. Climate pressure, technology shifts, social fragmentation. These aren’t future risks. They’re present realities.
Generative leadership adds the discipline of stepping back before stepping forward. It creates space for questions that don't have easy answers.
The best boards don’t shy away from that space. They lean into it. They ask the harder questions. They tolerate ambiguity. They look for insight, not just input.
If your board conversations feel a little too tidy, it might be time to ask: Where’s the creative tension? Where’s the curiosity? Where’s the chance to see something new? What needs to be true for us to change?
That’s where generative leadership begins. And that’s what separates boards that govern from those that lead.