Lessons in Leadership
Leadership is not exercised in solitude nor in a vacuum but in a specific situation, in a particular environment and social context, with others and on others, who in turn interact with those who exercise leadership. Accordingly, the leadership experiences are varied and diverse. Leadership in fact can be exercised anyplace. And leadership lessons can come from anywhere.
The great president
Following his election victory, President Obama made it clear that he was modeling his leadership on the style of President Abraham Lincoln, particularly as it pertained to Lincoln’s strategy of creating a team composed of his most able rivals, heavyweight politicians, people unafraid to take issue with him and confident of their own leadership abilities. This was especially meaningful as Lincoln (as well as Obama) was at the time grappling with grueling questions of how to lead amidst turbulence, the same predicament faced by most business leaders these days. Lincoln was able to bring disgruntled opponents together to create the most unusual cabinet in U.S. political history, including rivals who had strong egos and high ambitions; who felt free to question his authority. These were people who were unafraid to argue with their leader, and whose leader was unafraid of growing from their challenges. As a leader, do you dare to follow this paradigm, or do you prefer to play it safe by assembling a team of subservient collaborators, obedient to your authority?
Of course, the idea is not just to put your rivals in power. The point is to choose the best and most able people available, for the good of your organization. Lincoln came to power when the nation’s integrity was endangered, and he had the intelligence and self-confidence to know that he needed the best people by his side, people who were very aware of their own strengths, leaders in their own right. That’s an important lesson whether you’re the leader of a country, the CEO of a company, or the owner of your own small business.
The great civil rights icon
Martin Luther King Jr.s “I Have a Dream” speech is of course a masterpiece of rhetoric, but it is also in itself a course of instruction on what it takes to be a truly great leader. Magazine
First of all, Dr. King’s address came at a critical point in the civil rights movement, and yet he did not pull any punches. He faced the most brutal facts of his current reality, the disgraceful discrimination still crippling the nation, showing that great leaders do not sugar-coat reality.
The speech was also a masterful example of how great leaders engage the hearts of their followers by resorting tostories and metaphors that inspire instead of merely informing or – worse yet – blaming. As great leaders must do, Dr. King painted a vivid picture of a better tomorrow, a clear and concrete vision. He was able to help his followers seewhat he saw.
The speech also exemplified that defining characteristic of real leaders of refusing to accept the status quo, theirunwillingness to go along with to their circumstances, their refusal to believe that their organizations (or their nations) lack the resources to tackle the grand opportunities that lie in front of them. Furthermore, Dr. King’s message illustrated how a great leader creates a healthy impatience, a clear sense of urgency to transform unacceptable circumstances.
Dr. King’s words also acknowledged the sacrifice of his followers.As great leaders do, he verbalizedand affirmedthe trials and tribulations his people had expended, calling them “the veterans of creative suffering.” And yet he called upon them to act in accord with their highest values, to rise to higher standards, rather than resorting to violent deeds of bitterness and hatred.
We can go on extracting lessons from the words and examples of this extraordinary leader, but most managers would do well to remember his two main principles - equality and service. Remember that you are no better than the people who report to you. You just have a different job. And keep in mind that the more you serve them and give them what they need to do their job well, the greater your success and reward will be.
The great general
General Colin Powell, Chairman (Ret.), Joint Chiefs of Staff and former U.S. Secretary of State, has put together a “real leadership” primer that includes an interesting blend of established and bold principles. The first of these precepts reminds us that being responsible sometimes means irritating some people. Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity, and will predispose you to avoid the tough decisions.
General Powell asserts that real leaders understand that the routine followed in carrying out the details of most organizational tasks generates conformity and complacency, which in turn dulls everyone's mind. Therefore, while delegating and empowering others liberally, real leaders still must be vigilant and pay attention to details, every day, making sure their people’s minds are bright and sharp. The general also postulates that real leaders must assure the organizational culture they foster does not define asking for help as weakness or failure, because they don’t want their people covering up their gaps and weak points. If this happens, the organization will not grow as it should and could.
The general affirms that great leaders must be great simplifiers who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand. Their visions and priorities are lean and compelling, not cluttered and buzzword-laden. Their decisions are crisp and clear, not tentative and ambiguous. They convey an unwavering firmness and consistency in their actions, aligned with the vivid picture of the future they pursue.
The former top military officer in the nationmaintains that,while being prudent, good leaders don't wait for official blessing to try things out. They are aware that in most organizations if you ask enough people for permission, you'll inevitably come up against someone who believes his job is to say "no." Real leaders thus support the view that “If I haven't explicitly been told ‘no,’ then I can." Furthermore, they will spare the grim litany of the "realist," and opt for the “unrealistic aspirations” of the optimist.They comprehend the awesome ripple effect of a leader’s enthusiasm, and realize the poisonous effect a leader’s whining and blaming engender throughout the organization.
The emerging country
The most remarkable business leaders at the moment may be in India. What makes them remarkable, aside from a stunning performance, is a commitment to social goals that extend beyond the interests of their firms. A recent study of Indian businesses, The India Way: How India's Top Business Leaders Are Revolutionizing Management, will be published this month by Harvard Business School Press. The study strongly suggests thatnot only are the Indian companies able to do well while being good citizens, but that they in fact have done well precisely because they are being good citizens.
The leaders of 100 of the biggest companies in India were asked to rank their priorities as business leaders, what they consider their most important leadership functions. And here's what they identified as their top five priorities:
1. Be the principal provider of input for business strategy(i.e., shape corporate strategy);
2. Be the custodian of organizational culture;
3. Be the guide or teacher for employees;
4. Be the representative of owner and investor interests; and
5. Be the representative of other stakeholders (e.g., employees and the community).
The contrasts with the priorities of U.S. business leaders are dramatic. The clear #1 priority in the U.S, maximizing shareholder value and profits, barely comes fourth on the Indian list. And it is beaten fair and squareby an unusual duo: maintaining the integrity of the organizational culture, and serving as a good role model for employees. (By the way, when they say “role model”, they mean as a citizen and member of society, not just in the sense of “working hard”.)
Keep in mind that India’s major corporations are growing at rates of 20 percent to 40 percent per year, competing and winning in precisely the international markets where the United States sees its future: high-skilled service industries. Keep also in mind that Indian executives are increasingly on the short list for leadership positions in Europe and elsewhere. The fact that the most successful executives in India describe the main objective of their company in terms of a social mission is quite enlightening. A social mission provides a powerful means for motivating employees. We have long known that employees do much better when they see how their tasks contribute to the overall goal of the organization, and results are particularly powerful when those goals relate to helping people.
The Man from La Mancha
Yes, we mean Don Quixote. And you may be wondering what lessons can we learn from this fictional 16th-century gentleman who careered around the Spanish countryside tilting at windmills and challenging sheep to battle. Well, indeed we live in a world that emphasizes realistic expectations and clear successes, and Quixote had neither. But by charging ahead through failure after failure, he exemplifies sheer persistence in the pursuit of a vision and in abidance with one’s commitment. And he persists because he knows who he is; his actions are in full integrity with his values and feelings. He thus finds interminable energy in his integrity.
Quixote also endures in his efforts to build up people, fighting relentlessly to transform Aldonza, that poor being who lacks any self-worth, into the graceful and sweet Dulcinea. He shows us how positive feedback, when grounded in generosity and conviction, can evoke new behaviors and build self-esteem in those we care about.
The Ingenious Hidalgo lives his life with passion and discipline, a life devoted to imagination, dedication, and joy. His life helps to remind today’s leaders that the critical concerns of leadership are not technical questions of management or power; they are rather fundamental issues of life. | 
