Of Faith, Courage and Humility

There are many qualities and characteristics posited by various thought leaders on what makes a great leader.  Kouzes and Posner have written extensively on leadership being founded on credibility which itself is a function of a number of qualities including courage, vision, honesty, and ability to inspire.  Jim Collins talks about Level 5 Leaders being self-effacing, quiet, reserved and presenting a paradoxical blend of personal humility and ambition for the greater good (versus self).  Stephen Covey identifies a complementary set of characteristics for what he calls principle-centered leaders which includes continuous learners, service-orientation, positive attitude, belief in others, and being able to offer/create synergistic solutions.

My view of leadership has been influenced by all of these authors - and more.  So what I will add to your thought process today may be an echo of what we have both already read or heard.  However, as I suspect is the case with your own experience, my views of leadership have also been shaped by how these guidelines, parameters, and musings of thought leaders have or have not shown up in the "real" world.  In the case of each author - and certainly in my own experience - there is a recognition that there are real contrasts in how leadership success is defined by various organizations at various points in time of their evolution.  And without a doubt we have people in leadership positions who I would not call leaders by my own definition nor by what people like Kouzes & Posner, Collins and Covey would define as great leadership.

Based on a few of my experiences, I choose to expand on a few key leadership qualities that I believe would be required to succeed as a leader.  First on my list is Faith in Others.  Leadership by its very definition requires that you work with others.  For me this means much more than having followers.  The emphasis I place within this context is in fact having people who work WITH you and not FOR you.  Do you have faith and trust in what they can bring to the table?  Can you step back from leadership in some circumstances and let your team take charge?  Are you allowing them to succeed even without you?  For me it also means hearing them as they bring forward their perspectives on the health of the organization and the quality of your leadership.  This is where having Faith in Others really hits home.  Do you trust that the information that they are giving you is based in (their) reality or do you dismiss such feedback because it doesn't accord with your view of the world?


Related to my concept of Faith in Others, is the Courage required to be a leader.  This relates to the concept laid out by Jim Collins of confronting the brutal facts.  As leaders we are certainly called upon to create a vision and inspire others to greatness.  What we have to be careful of, however, or balance against this inspiring vision is recognizing what real barriers might be getting in the way of success.  Failing that honest assessment we are likely no better than the proverbial ostrich sticking its head in the sand.  By way of example, I was recently told a story of a leader who choose to challenge a perspective of the collective leadership team of the organization at a regular leadership forum.  In essence the leader had been hearing rumblings from mid-level and senior leaders about a changing - and deteriorating - organizational culture.  Rather than using the forum to delve into the reasons behind this perception or reality, the leader chose not only to dismiss this perspective out-of-hand but also suggested that if there was any problem it was with those bringing up the issue.  Needless to say a climate of truth and collaboration was not fostered that day.  Having the courage to face up to perceptions and realities - no matter how challenging - takes some leadership courage.

Finally, and directly related to Faith in Others and Courage, is personal Humility.  To be successful - particularly on a long-term basis - a leader requires an ability to self assess, to self-manage and continuously learn. In my personal view, a leader has to be in a continuous process of self assessment.  They must be prepared to accept contrary facts about where they are, where they would like to be, what gaps exist between current and desired leadership acumen, and what work is required to move their personal performance.  This not only means taking time out from general leadership

duties for targeted and guided self-reflection but also being open to constructive feedback from others.  This presumes a recognition that no individual or leader ever achieves perfection.  A truly self-aware leader actively seeks out honest perspectives on their leadership even if that assessment doesn't always paint them in the the most desirable light.  Never expect to get a 10 out of 10 on a performance evaluation or other form of assessment.  On the contrary, let me suggest that if those are the results you have been getting as a leader than your stakeholders are no longer prepared to give you honest and useful feedback.

Those are my thoughts on key leadership characteristics informed by my own leadership journey, continuous learning, and evaluation of personal experience.  Work on your equation of Faith, Courage and Humility.  I believe by this effort you will continuously strengthen your leadership acumen and achievements.
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Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC 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.