In recent years, new approaches to leadership have emerged to better understand these atypical figures: innovative, creative leaders, aligned with their deep values, capable of resisting and inspiring in a constantly changing world.
Among these approaches, that of Edgewalkers developed by Judi Neal (2006) stands out. This term, which is difficult to translate, evokes people who walk on the border of two worlds – material and spiritual – and build bridges between different paradigms. In French, we could call them idea transmitters, in reference to Egyptian mythology: those who make the link between the shores of the visible and the invisible.
Who are these smugglers?
In Anglo-Saxon literature, we find other terms:
Difference Makers (Waddock, 2008)
Intellectual Shaman (Frost & Egri, 1994)
Tempered radicals (Meyerson, 2001)
All of these concepts describe engaged individuals, eager to succeed within their organization while remaining faithful to their identity and their deep values, even if these seem out of step with the dominant culture.
These leaders embody a holistic and ethical vision of leadershipThey act with awareness, intuition, and responsibility, refusing to separate economic efficiency and societal impact.
A paradigm shift
The vision of the all-powerful, individualistic leader dominated by personal ambition is increasingly a thing of the past (Renesch, 2001; Wheatley & Fruez, 2011). This model is giving way to that of the humanist leader, engaged in a quest for meaning.
Through the prism of dynamic spiral (Cowan & Beck, 1996), we are witnessing an evolution of leadership:
From the level red, centered on power, domination, ego,
At the level blue, more normative and collective, oriented towards a higher ideal and a quest for shared meaning.
The 5 Key Traits and Skills of Visionary Leaders
According to Neal, the leader-passers present five personality traits :
Self-awareness
Passion
Integrity
Vision
Taste for play and exploration
They also mobilize five essential skills :
Connecting to the emerging future (cf. Otto Scharmer's U theory)
Taking risks
Take action
Focus their energy
Evaluate situations with discernment
In 2007, Judi Neal designed a 100-item questionnaire to assess these dimensions, which was later reduced to 20 items without loss of validity (Neal & Hoopes, 2012).
And you? Are you a visionary leader?
I invite you to discover this test soon on my website. It will allow you to better understand your leadership posture and take stock of your transformation levers.
👉 Are you a “passer” in your organization?
👉 Does your organization value visionary qualities and ethics in its strategic choices?
We will talk about it again very soon.
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Article inspired by the work of Judi Neal, Otto Scharmer, and reflections from the world of business and humanistic psychology.
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