The Foundation of Leadership…
By some estimates, an average of 4 books are published daily in the United States that speak to Leadership.
Sometimes it feels like I’ve read 5 or 6 years worth. And yet, the topic of Leadership seems like it can just as easily be reduced to a flip Instagram meme or a cliché Facebook quote.
It begs to question, what is Leadership? Good Leadership? Great Leadership? If pressed into a leadership situation, what is your (or my) leadership style?
There’s a lot to unpack there. And with as much that has been written about leadership, as many different points of view about the topic that exist, I think one safe assumption is that whatever perspective I offer, there is bound to be those that say I am wrong. Misguided, naïve, nonsensical, confused, maybe even delusional. As rough as the detractors may be, I’m heading in anyway.
My understanding of leadership is based on personal experience coupled with deep reflection, consideration and in-the-moment hypothesis testing. If concepts seem similar or familiar to others, I claim no original authorship yet I am not sourcing any specific beliefs or ideas of others.
The ultimate reward of leadership is Trust. Not the absolute, blind-faith dedicated follower kind of trust a cult leader may be given. The trust rewarded of good leadership is the belief of and support of others. It is the willingness to follow a leader’s direction and a willingness to give the benefit of a doubt.
Okay, so trust is the desired outcome, how do we get there?
I believe trust is a result of external behaviors and internal drivers. Given that we all have our own life experiences, beliefs, values and priorities, it’s easy to push against a simple formula. But I believe this model gives room to those individualized characteristics. Let’s try it out.
External Behaviors. This is the way we show up. The person we are that is there, living out loud, in the full spectrum view and judgment of others.
The most critical, foundational, elemental requirement of good leadership is Open, Respectful Communication. Open, respectful communication means active listening, incorporating new information appropriately and letting others understand that they are being listened to and heard. The follow-up questions a good leader has make it evident that they are engaged.
After respectful communication, Personal Accountability is the next hallmark of a good leader. Personal Accountability is the willingness of the leader to get into the arena themselves, while having the courage to be vulnerable and as appropriate, admit to being wrong. It’s also showing the willingness to admit to shortcomings, accept the blame if necessary and/or embrace the need to learn from others. Leaders with a high level of Personal Accountability inspire the leadership development of others.
The third and final external driver of good leadership is A Bias Toward Action. Leaders with a bias toward action show others their personal need/want/drive to get things done. A bias toward action inspires. The lack of a bias toward action engenders frustration, inactivity and complacency.
Moving past the external drivers, great leaders project an inner strength as well. That inner strength, in my mind is made up of three essential elements or Internal Drivers: Passion, Humility and Vision. Let’s break them down.
Passion in a leader should not be assumed to mean that leaders must be dynamic, out spoken and/or gregarious. Passion can just as easily and often more strongly be a quiet strength, like the knowing, sly awareness of Clark Kent coupled with a shared belief that you are on the right path.
Similar to the external behavior of accountability, Humility is that ever so necessary element every leader needs to reassure others that they are adjacent to and not hovering above and better than those they lead. Humility too engenders a very humanizing characteristic that the truly great leaders come into situations as “one of us”. A humble leader is approachable and authentic.
And finally, the Vision of a great leader is not only the ability to see the future-state, it is also, and maybe more importantly, the accessibility to help others feel, see, almost taste that improved, much desired future state.
Leadership is dynamic, subjective and at times can feel fleeting. While reducing all that good leadership is into a Venn diagram inside of a triangle can be quite easily characterized as an over simplification, I believe all the critical elements are there. And like a much trusted recipe can make its way from one generation to the next, this formula is sound, but personal results will vary. I encourage you to experiment and explore. I have the courage of my convictions to be accountable for what I’ve shared and the humility to encourage your feedback so that I may continue to learn.
