People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of
genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the
microphone. They want leadership. They're so thirsty for it they'll
crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's
no water, they'll drink the sand.
Lewis, we've had presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a
coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink
the sand because they're thirsty. They drink the sand because they don't
know the difference.
A damning statement on "our" collective ability to evaluate and select the quality of leaders we need! Even more so when we consider how much more complex and challenging our organizational environments are becoming. It seems to me that this fictional representation and discourse on leadership is highly reflective of the issues we face in assessing and evaluating leaders in a variety of circumstances. In my home province we recently made a political choice between three very different leadership personalities and visions. Time will tell whether we have assessed and chosen correctly. This fall, Canada will likewise have the opportunity to select its Prime Minister to govern us for the next number of years. Likewise the United States gears up to choose its next President and may have the opportunity to choose between Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton. So on what basis do make these momentous decisions? My hope is that in all cases - political or otherwise - we choose less out of historical reflex, anecdote and emotion and more out of thoughtful consideration of what makes a great leader.
As you may have already ascertained from past blog posts, I operate from a certain perspective on what makes a great leader. I offer you this short list of factors to explicitly identify what I believe are important considerations on leadership choices. These build upon my own personal experiences of great - and not so great - leaders.
One -Visionary. This may seem completely self-evident but I daresay there are a number of leaders in positions of substantial power that have a less than well-developed vision to guide them and their followers. Vision for me has a very specific connotation. It is a perspective or destination that extends beyond anyone political term or short-term horizon. It is also clearly resonates and motivates others to action and is not simply about profit and loss, stock options, dividends or executive bonuses.
Two - Authentic. Great leaders and strong leaders are authentic. There is no mask or pretense about them. They don't pretend to be who they are not. They recognize and own their strengths and their weaknesses. Too many leaders try to present as the perfect specimen of leader, without flaw and without doubt. To my mind this simply reinforces a perception of their own insecurity and prevents them from truly connecting with their followers.
Four - Stay True. Perhaps similar to focus, but great leaders aren't afraid to chart their own course, to take the path less traveled. They distinguish themselves from the pack and similarly help their organization distinguish themselves in their marketplace. Great leaders seek out new markets, new methods and new ways of thinking and acting to build success.
Five - Risk Taker. Success and greatness often requires risk. If there is no risk there is no reward. Each of us has our own definition of and means of assessing risk. Great leaders may sometimes be perceived as taking foolish risks but in many cases they just have a different mental mindset about what constitutes acceptable risk. They also appreciate that "playing it safe" also carries it own risk not the least of which is being left behind and becoming irrelevant.
Six - Inner Strength. Great leaders recognize that not everything goes as planned or as desired. But they are resilient in the face of such challenges. Moreover, they don't look to assign blame to others or extraneous variables. They assess, analyze and find a new path forward, learning from failure, continuing to move forward to on their personal and organizational vision.
Seven - Build Relationships. Great leaders recognize that leadership is not a solo endeavor. By its very definition leadership requires that there be followers. Effective relationships are built on a foundation of trust, respect, belief in and commitment to a common vision, authenticity and integrity of word and action. Without relationships leadership cannot, by my definition, be great.So as you assess your own leadership ambitions or are in position to evaluate the leadership aspirations of others, I encourage you to critically evaluate yourself or other candidates against these criteria or those of your own choosing.
The most important request is that you indeed critically evaluate before choosing. It's About Leadership! It's About Great Leadership!
______________________________
Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCCTEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca
Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.
Great post Greg. I would just like to offer 2 more factors which are important to me when I evaluate a leader: communication and integrity.
ReplyDelete- The ability to communicate clearly the vision, strategy, direction or the why of a decision are critical in order to get buy in and common understanding.
- A leader without integrity, a strong moral compass is not one that people will follow for the long term. Recent examples from the political situation in Alberta bear this out and contributed to the wholesale change we saw at the provincial level. Time will tell if it was the right move or not.
Taras