Our constructs of leadership and followership are changing. Although I’ve said many times that leadership and followership is not a parent/child relationship and that most of us are “liminal leaders,” leading and following simultaneously, the transition we make as we become parents is an ideal example of what it means to be a liminal leader.
Today, I experienced a man becoming a father for the first time, and I couldn’t help thinking about this from the concept of the liminal leader. Being a liminal leader means occupying a space where you simultaneously embody the roles of both leader and follower. This concept is rooted in the idea of liminality, a term used to describe an in-between or transitional state where one is not fully in one role or another but exists in the intersection of multiple roles. A son who becomes a new father embodies the concept of a liminal leader or someone navigating liminal space in both leadership and followership, where the roles of leading and following occur simultaneously. This parallel can be understood through several key aspects and observations of behavior:
Navigating the In-Between
Son to Father: As a new father, the son is in a transitional, or liminal, phase between being the child (who is still learning and growing) and becoming the parent (who is responsible for teaching and guiding). He is never fully in one role or the other but occupies a space that bridges both.
Liminal Leader: A liminal leader similarly exists in a space between roles—leading others while still following guidance from others or within a collaborative environment. They are not purely a leader or follower but operate in the intersection of both.
Dual Responsibilities
Son to Father: A new father must simultaneously manage the responsibilities of being a son and a father. He may follow the wisdom and traditions passed down from his parents while also leading and creating new traditions and practices for his own child.
Liminal Leader: A liminal leader must balance the responsibilities of following directives or established norms, while also leading their team or organization in new directions. They function as both a guide and a learner.
Mutual Influence
Son to Father: As a new father, a son may continue to be influenced by his parents, drawing on their experiences and advice, even as he begins to influence his own child. The roles of leader and follower influence each other, creating a dynamic interplay.
Liminal Leader: A liminal leader is influenced by those they follow and, at the same time, influences those they lead. Their leadership is shaped by the input they receive from supervisors, peers, or team members, while their decisions and actions impact others.
Learning and Teaching Simultaneously
Son to Father: In his new role as a father, the son is learning and experiencing parenting skills in real-time while also teaching his child how to function in society. He is both a learner and a teacher, navigating this duality as he grows into the role.
Liminal Leader: A liminal leader is often in a position of learning (from mentors, experiences, or the team) while simultaneously teaching and guiding others. They embody the fluidity of moving between learning and teaching, often doing both at once.
Dynamic Identity
Son to Father: The identity of a son who becomes a father is fluid, as he shifts between being a son and a father. He must reconcile these roles, often adapting his identity, personality, style, and communication to meet the demands of both.
Liminal Leader: A liminal leader’s identity is similarly fluid, as they must adapt to the demands of both leading and following. They may need to assert authority in one moment and then step back to follow in the next, reflecting a dynamic, adaptable identity.
Balancing Tradition and Innovation
Son to Father: A new father may draw upon traditional values and lessons learned from his own parents and traditions while also innovating and adapting, or abandoning these lessons to suit the needs of his child and family.
Liminal Leader: A liminal leader balances tradition and innovation, following established practices or guidelines while also leading the way in adapting and evolving these practices to meet new organizational challenges.
Responsibility to Multiple Stakeholders
Son to Father: The new father has to balance the responsibility to both his parents and his child—honoring the past while building the future. He may follow the values, morals, and expectations of his parents while leading his own family’s values, morals, and expectations.
Liminal Leader: A liminal leader has responsibilities to multiple stakeholders, such as supervisors, team members, and the organization as a whole. They follow the strategic direction set by other leadership while leading their team toward achieving those goals.
Putting it All Together!
In both circumstances, son to father as well as being a liminal leader, the individual operates in a space of transition and fluidity, where the roles of leading and following are not distinct but interconnected. Although leading and following are not a “parent/child” or superior/subordinate relationship, when a child becomes a parent, they are thrust into the liminal space of both parent and child. The son who becomes a father, much like a liminal leader, must constantly navigate the duality of his roles, making decisions that honor both the responsibilities of following and the imperatives of leading. This liminal space requires adaptability, awareness, and the ability to integrate multiple perspectives and roles simultaneously.
About the Author: Dr. Chris Fuzie is the owner of CMF Leadership Consulting and is currently the Business/HR Manager for a District Attorney’s office in California. Chris is a Leaderologist II and Vice President of the National Leaderology Association (NLA) who holds a Doctor of Education (Ed. D), M.A. and B.A. in Organizational Leadership, and has graduate certificates in Human Resources and Criminal Justice Education. Chris is a developer, trainer, consultant for leadership of public, private, profit, and non-profit organizations since 2010. Chris is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a former National Instructor for the International Association of Chiefs of Police and California P.O.S.T. Courses. Chris is the author of "Because Why... Understanding Behavior in Exigencies." and of "S.C.O.R.E. Performance Counseling: Save the Relationship, Change the Behavior," and his latest book, “Liminal Space: Reshaping Leadership and Followership.” Chris is honorably retired from the Modesto Police Department after 28 years of public service leading such teams as the Homicide Team, the Hostage Negotiations Team, the Street-Level Drug Team and the School Police Officer Team.
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