Leadership: A View From the Bottom
By William
R. Hutchison
A former British Naval Officer in assessing one of his lieutenants in the category of leadership described the young officer as follows: "His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of curiosity."
No
subject is timelier or more contemporary than the matter of leadership,
be it of nations, peoples, or corporate America. The media has
been replete with the corporate failings at Enron, Arthur Anderson,
WorldCom, and Martha Stewart. Whatever complex causes may have
contributed to the decline of these corporate entities, clearly
a failure of leadership was at the core. The inability of political
leaders to lead their nations or their people has created an
environment of human suffering and global anxiety in the Middle
East. The qualities of leadership that have clearly not been
exhibited by some political and corporate leaders have been like
clear laser beacons to other leaders such as the former mayor
of New York City, Rudolph Guiliani.
Many times in my capacity as a human resource executive, I was asked by individuals in positions of power and authority what actions, programs, or educational experiences they could engage in to help inspire those who looked to them for guidance to attain greater levels of success, productivity, and accomplishment. The answer to these questions is not a search for an overly complicated answer. The solution is rather simplistic, but to many people highly elusive.
The answer is two-fold: individuals in positions of responsibility and power must first realize that if they spend the majority of their time planning, organizing, and controlling things, they are a manager. If on the other hand a majority of their time and energy is focused on people, they are probably a leader. For the most part, managers concentrate on budgets, equipment, and schedules. Leaders focus on people, communications, vision, and compassion.
The second part of the answer is to ask those who are being led what their expectations are of leaders. The "silver bullet" of leadership is in the needs and wants of those being led. Human beings being what we are tend to respond to the concept of defining leadership in a series of seemingly contradicting paradoxes.
Principal among our multiple wants and demands of leaders is the ability to be aggressive, make the difficult choices, protect those of us being led, and still show fairness and personal regard for all. Leaders are expected to delegate and to enable people to act on their own and be independent while demonstrating the willingness and skill to support by word and deed when their assistance and support is needed. Leaders must be able to see all points of view; see all sides of an issue yet appreciate where each individual stands and how each individual feels. Leaders must demonstrate the ability to create calm out of chaos, to be a beacon of hope in a hopeless situation, and at the same time show that they can ignite passion and motivate individuals or groups to great levels of achievement. We expect leaders to see what others cannot yet have the ability to focus on the here and now. Powerful, bold, and decisive actions are revered in leaders; however, compassion, caring, and consideration solidify loyalty and support. Self-confidence and the willingness to take bold risks are often seen as the characteristics that separate those who lead from those who follow. Personal flaws, limitations, and shortcomings when publicly acknowledged by leaders elevate their stature, respect, and humanity. To fix what is not broken; to find flaws in seemingly flawless things allows leaders to migrate from mediocrity to greatness. Acceptance that there are things beyond personal control and the ability to know when to concede separate leaders from foolhardy, personal glory-seeking individuals.
Leadership as defined by those being led is about setting direction by defining a clear vision, a purpose for action, and goals to achieve. Leaders define value, ethics, and a purpose for actions. Leadership is about empowering people to leverage their collective energy and passion to accomplish great goals. Leaders align us toward a common target and focus our energies. Leadership is about creating loyalty, ensuring communication, and fostering respect. Leaders display integrity, ethical behavior, compassion, and humility. Leaders are admired for their ability to see mistakes as but an alternate way to learn. Leaders never deal in failure because the concept of failure is terminal. True leaders have developed an artful way to generate desire and passion in the minds and hearts of those in their charge.
The solution, therefore as to how to inspire, motivate, communicate, and challenge people being led, while as complex as human nature itself, is a readily available answer if leaders realize their power, their influence, and their effectiveness comes not solely from their own efforts but is derivative from satisfying the needs of those of us who seek leadership.