BENEATH THE SURFACE Leadership Under the Macroscope T he term Leadership, and more impor- tantly the concepts behind the term, has almost become a cliché. It is virtually impossible to read any business and management-oriented publication without finding at least one mention of seminars focused on the topic, and gurus aplenty offering their take. Leadership, as a phenomenon, has gone beyond being a top- of-mind topic worthy of investigation. It cannot be avoided! This is not to say that understanding the fundamentals, nuances and importance of leadership in an organi- zation and/or any walk of life isn’t a critical element in the success of any venture. It is. Leadership in General For me personally, leadership is not the kind of “I’m in charge, you will do what I tell you” operational imperative. This brand of leadership is a characteristic of a traditional, command-and-control organization, be it corporate or military. In this environment, leadership is often not something that is earned, it is dictated. This could be manifest in a company, sports team, volunteer organization, friendship; any context in which there is more than one person involved, and in which some action will be called for. In a command-and-control environment those being led will think, and in many cases mumble inaudibly, “you’re not my leader, you’re my boss.” Ok, so exactly what is this thing called leadership, and adjunctively, what are the characteristics of a genuine leader? Since this column has an Op-Ed slant, I offer my take based on reading; attending seminars, webina r s and workshops ; and participating in strategic planning sessions as an attendee and session facilitator. Perhaps most importantly, my position on this topic is based on a lifetime of leading and being led. I have very vivid memories of all of those with whom I have interacted, learned from and taught, in a career that spans a variety of employment, volunteer and recreational activities. Although I never thought of it at the time, and it certainly was not a preplanned evolution, I have had three distinct careers, served in multiple volunteer activities and pursued a number of athletic pursuits that placed me in the company of others who were leaders in the particular endeavor. And since I am definitely in the senior set of my years, I can call upon a wide range of experiences, all from which I have learned a great deal about leadership both in formal and informal contexts. Therein are my bona fides for waxing on about this sometimes over-analyzed subject. Leadership continues to be defined in a number of ways. For example, the e- publication Trends in Business (Spring 2015) recently undertook a survey of respected management professionals in the U.S. business community in order to identify business leaders’ perspective of this somewhat elusive concept. What follows are several examples culled from that publication that may resonate with you. Leadership Defined • “Leadership is accomplishing things that reach beyond solitary abilities by acting and getting others to act with a maturity that surpasses limited self-interest.” John Baker, president of READY Thinking, an organizational and development firm. • “Paraphrasing General and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, ‘leadership is the art of getting others to do things you want done, and feel good about it.’ I would say that the goal is to get the person to embrace the mission and own it.” Dale Hamby, a former Army major and associate VP for Univer- sities Centers at Harrisburg University. • “A leader isn’t someone linked to those with positional authority. Leadership, instead, is defined alternatively as someone who influences others to achieve a common goal. This would represent the work and contributions of anyone who serves in this capacity.” Barbara Steel, senior VP of leadership effectiveness at Zenger, Folkman, and co-author of How to be AUTHOR S. Scot Litke, Hon. D.GE Exceptional: Drive Leadership Success by Magnifying Your Strengths (McGraw-Hill, 2012). • “Leadership is getting people to want to follow. That requires engaging them passionately, from the heart, and requires persuading people to change.” Tom Kennedy, strategic planning consultant. I could go on and on, however, suffice it to say that there are common themes in almost every definition of leadership, and all involve people and relationships. The same could be said for arriving at the major characteristics of leaders, another popular undertaking. We have all heard and/or read some variation on the theme of “The Five/ Ten/Fifteen Characteristics of Leaders,” so let’s not go there. Since none of us just “fell off the melon truck” (I would assume), we all have at least an intuitive, if not linguis- tically refined, sense of what makes a good leader. (As an aside, there have been many leaders throughout history that mankind could have done without. Think dictators, despots and those of that nefarious ilk.) For purposes of this discussion, I offer several characteristics of a good leader to which you are encouraged to add your own. Leadership Characteristics For me, an overarching characteristic of a good leader is that he/she has a positive, “we can do it” attitude. However, leaders are not Pollyannas. While they may cheer us on they are not cheerleaders. Cheerleaders can be valuable sideline assets, but not ordinar- ily leaders. Here is an opening salvo based on my thoughts to help stimulate yours… • Leaders make us want to do something. • Leaders are strong, self-reliant, self-assured, and at the same time, humble. They can be dynamic extroverts or soft-spoken and have quiet-appearing personalities. DEEP FOUNDATIONS • JULY/AUG 2015 • 55
