On Leadership

Much has been written on leadership. But how much has been said? Is anyone a credible source who talks about leadership without having been a leader himself? I think not. In fact, I will start by asserting the acid test of knowledge is action. That’s doubly true for leadership.

So, briefly, here’s what I think when I think of leadership.

A leader is a visionary in some measure. A visionary is someone that is target-motivated. He aims to hit a specific mark. A vision, as I define it, is a set of goals larger and more valuable than the individual and larger and more valuable than the group. Any leadership that excludes vision from its basic spring of motivation falls under the banner of management, not leadership.

Maybe the leader’s vision is a general one, such as creating a better community. Maybe it is more specific, such as a quantum leap in producing the next generation of widget. But the playing out of such a vision, general or specific, ultimately translates into how people may better relate to one another, work together, and build their world more thoughtfully.

Remember, too, it is our values that create our future. So any leadership will have to account for the values inherent in the enterprise and the people supporting it. The way we value aligns our efforts in such a way as to see those values fleshed out day by day. Look at what you have. It is a mirror of your values.

Armed with a vision and a discerning instinct for values, the leader has two roles to play. He must cast the vision so others will see it, be captivated by it, and easily imagine their place in its attainment. As others attach their own values and perception to a desirable future state, a good leader observes and takes note. How are they reacting? What are their strengths and weaknesses, individually and corporately? Will aspects of this vision unify or divide? Good leadership then calls for shoring up the weaknesses wherever present, channeling the strengths in their abundance, and then overtly identifying and refining the values projected by the participants.

The second stage is counterintuitive in nature. Rather than getting out front to wave the flag and point the way, just the opposite is needed. The second stage is to get behind everyone. When I say that, I mean this: a leader’s real work is directing, supporting, and participating with each and every co-worker in the accomplishment of the overall vision. Of course, this includes all manner of delegation and accountability to disseminate not only his vision but his authority.

He does this by facilitating the connection between each one’s natural and trained abilities with the needs and requirements of the project; and, where appropriate, stretching them into new territory when untapped aptitude is present. This is work. But it’s the only work that will assure the complete attainment of the goal, a vision fully fleshed out.

To lead in this fashion, I think, requires taking a genuine interest in one’s participants. It demands insight, patience, and an ability to coach and to champion people and causes, respectively. Also, a leader must be one who easily sees the forest and the trees, that is, one who can comfortably move from an inspiring macro vision to the detailed and sometimes tedious micro efforts necessary to achieve the vision until it is finished.

OK. This is just a blog, but if it were a book on leadership, then at this point I would trot out a dozen examples of what I just outlined. I am afraid you will have to do that part yourself. As you do, remember this: leading is a messy business from start to finish. Accept it. And as you accept the messiness of human behavior, stay focused on the vision and the people who have agreed to help you achieve it and, chances are, it will happen.

Copyright © 2010 David Haddad, PhD