3 ways to check if you are an ambidextrous leader

Leaders need to be ambidextrous at setting both short-term and long-term goals.

In this ever-evolving world, leadership is not about just starting a company, it is rather about maintaining a balance between the vision you started with and the emerging technologies that can perhaps help you reach your aim as quickly as possible. A successful leader is someone who can use his left as well as right hand simultaneously–someone who is ambidextrous in nature. Reading about this phenomenon for the first time? Let us explore more.

Who is an ambidextrous leader?

Ambidextrous leadership refers to the simultaneous use of explorative and exploitative activities by leaders. Exploration refers to search, risk-taking, experimentation, and innovation in organizations, whereas exploitation has to do with refinement, efficiency, implementation, and execution.

An I by IMD article describes ambidexterity as the ability to drive flawless execution, replicating best-in-class routines, while at the same time being able to let go of these routines to experiment. “For stakeholders, ambidextrous leaders know how to follow formal procedures for dealing with them, but they also possess the capacity to work the informal network to achieve mutual goals. When managing people, ambidextrous leaders have both the capacity to lead from the front, telling their people what to do, and also to step back and act as a coach. And for leading self, ambidextrous leaders can make big courageous leaps, while also having the ability to put themselves back in equilibrium to find their quiet centre,” it adds.

Global ambidextrous leaders

We spoke to many industry leaders to understand who they believe are global ambidextrous leaders who are doing significantly well in their respective fields. Here are some names that topped the list:

Jeff Bezos (Amazon): Jeff Bezos is often cited as an ambidextrous leader for his ability to simultaneously focus on exploiting Amazon's core e-commerce business while exploring and investing in new ventures, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Amazon Prime. Bezos' strategic vision allowed him to balance the need for immediate profitability with long-term growth. His willingness to take risks in new areas like cloud computing (AWS) demonstrates his ambidextrous leadership. Shivangi Tiwari Mishra, divisional head, market access and strategy, Tattvan E clinics, and Suruchi Maitra, co-founder at Artha School of Entrepreneurship voted for him.

Elon Musk (Tesla and SpaceX): Elon Musk is known for his exploration of innovative technologies (electric vehicles and space exploration) alongside the exploitation of existing ones. He strikes a balance by investing in SpaceX to push the boundaries of space technology while optimizing Tesla's electric car production. His ventures show his ability to manage risk and his long-term vision. Aniket Tiwary, executive director, of Provocomm Public Relations and Mishra voted for Musk as an ambidextrous leader.

Satya Nadella (Microsoft): Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft into a more ambidextrous organisation by shifting focus from the traditional Windows-centric approach to cloud services (Azure) and artificial intelligence. He's known for fostering a culture of innovation and learning, making Microsoft both an explorer and an exploiter in the tech industry.

Tim Cook (Apple): Tim Cook succeeded Steve Jobs as Apple's CEO and demonstrated ambidextrous leadership by continuing to exploit the existing product lines, like iPhones and Macs while exploring new areas like wearables (Apple Watch) and services (Apple Music). He maintains Apple's profitability while diversifying its revenue streams. Cook got the votes of Saurabh Vohara, founder and CEO at ALYF, Maitra, and Mishra.

Ambidextrous leader check-list

Industry leaders give a checklist for you to see if you are an ambidextrous leader:

Do you often find yourself playing a dual role in your company?

Are you always using your left and the right hand simultaneously, i.e. are you always playing a double role in your organisation? Aniket Tiwary, executive director, Provocomm Public Relations, says, an ambidextrous leader is an authoritative man in power who plays the double role of an encourager and enforcer: encourager of innovation and power-packed work performance, and enforcer of discipline, punctuality, and sincerity towards work. On the other hand, Rohit Pandit, managing director for People’s Group and CMD, Shuzlan Energy, says, “You can tell if a person is an ambidextrous leader by observing whether they take decisive action when required, know when to step in and out of an organisation, and are self-aware of both their own and the organisation’s working styles. Additionally, an ambidextrous leader must have faith in their group.” Another example of playing a dual role in the organisation is about being exploitative and explorative at the same time. Nikhil Sikri, the CEO and co-founder of ZoloStays, says the one who balances both is an ambidextrous leader. “Exploitation involves refining and maximizing existing products, services, and processes. It's about making what's already in place work even better. On the other hand, exploration is about experimenting with new ideas and approaches, embracing risks, and venturing into uncharted territory,” he says.

So, if you are always doing two things at a time, then there might be a possibility that you are an ambidextrous leader. However, if you are not able to use your left and right brain together then there might be a possibility that you are either an exploitative leader or an explorative leader.

Do you have a good eye for the external world?

An ambidextrous leader cannot be stuck to the ideas or beliefs he started his firm with. He needs to have a good eye for the external world and should be able to experiment with the existing technologies and remain up-to-date with the up-and-coming changes. Suruchi Maitra, co-founder at Artha School of Entrepreneurship, says, “To be successful at this, all previous concepts of management need to be dropped and instead, the ambidextrous leader needs to be open, have a good eye for the external world, identify trends that may emerge, ability to connect the dots and see the big picture, operate with empathy, have open two-way communication in the organisation not through hierarchical lines, supported by tools that allow this to happen.”

Well, are you already using the word AI a lot? Not only the word alone but also the technology in your organization? Might be the hint that you are on your way to becoming an ambidextrous leader.

Do you have a vision for both short-term and long-term roles?

Saurabh Vohara, founder and CEO at ALYF believes that effective leaders who possess ambidextrous qualities have a well-defined vision for the future. This means they have a clear understanding of where they want their organisation or team to go. “These leaders maintain a strong focus on performance and precision, setting high standards for their team members and expecting quality work. They understand that achieving performance excellence and accuracy is critical for achieving both short-term and long-term goals,” he adds.

Well, an ambidextrous leader cannot just be setting short-term goals alone. They need to be ambidextrous at setting both short-term as well as long-term goals. If you are always stuck at this skill, then there might be the case that you are lacking somewhere. Time to rest and create a plan for the next five years as well.

If all the answers are a yes, then you would qualify as an ambidextrous leader and still if the company is not growing, then it might be the sign to amp up your efforts, this festive season.