The Need for Leadership

I had a boss, who I asked once about Leadership. He asked me if I had ever heard about the “CIO Handbook” (He was/is a CIO – one of the best I know). Naïve as I was, I shook my head; and he said that when I got the book, to read pages 1 to 5 and I would get my answer.

Needless to say, there never was and probably never will be a handbook on Leadership. And yet, the world at large always looks for and to Leaders for guidance, counsel, and even direction. Why then are Leaders such a rare breed? I do not make a distinction between “Good” or “Bad” Leaders because by definition a Leader serves Positive Change and the management of the Energy that such change brings with it.

Leadership is always defined within a context. The outcomes of such Leadership may live beyond the context and such is Greatness. History is replete with such great Leaders. Mahatma Gandhi’s context was India’s struggle for Freedom, and his Leadership through those times is unquestionable. But Gandhiji’s greatness stemmed from the lessons and Leadership he gave all mankind in its continuous struggle to be freed from Hate.

Alexander the Great with his vision of One World, Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of a world of Equality - through all of these, one continuous refrain throbs gently – Leadership. Leadership that is beyond contexts and situations that define how we think, and who we aspire to be.

At the core of Leadership is a very fundamental premise – “If they work for you, you work for them”. In a very fundamental way, a Leader always serves needs and aspirations greater than themselves. The context therefore is far broader than the narrow confines of the Corporate world and extends into daily living.

In every situation and circumstance there is always a need for positive change. Whether you are a Manager on the shop-floor responsible for making widgets, or a Politician wanting to change the world, or a Housewife responsible for running a family and household – the need for positive change which in management-speak is “Value-add” is a constant.

So, how do Leaders make that difference? Basically, a Leader has three core capabilities that are constantly evolving in their own minds:

1) People – part of the context they are in and a deep understanding of the positive change they desire.
2) Principles – A set of beliefs that the Leader holds uncompromisingly to, ensuring transparency to all People. Positive set of beliefs, earned from experience.
3) Performance – How the Leader goes about making the positive changes and a reckoning of the impact of such changes. A Leader does not flinch from accountability to their actions.

Surrounding these is a passion for positive change. In simple terms, the key to sound Leadership are two fundamental principles:

1) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2) Say what you do – Do what you say – and How you do what you say defines the positivism of the impact.

Through all this, a Leader requires sustenance to deal with the ups and downs through this process of change and the ebbs and flows of energy. They are sustained by a strong sense of Purpose; accompanied by a pride in what they do; held constant by their Passion and Perseverance through all odds. What I have observed is that Leaders usually create their own Purpose, which usually resonates with the People who they lead.
A colleague of mine took over a team that was in deep trouble – Morale was low, there was little sense of “Team”, operating efficiencies were going down, commitments were being missed. A no-win situation, you would say. And yet, this friend of mine, even before he took the job, was already working on one simple concept that he wanted his people to understand that – “Each one of you is valuable”.

When a Leader is willing to look to the needs of the people before his own, something in each of us responds positively to this.

Needless to say, this colleague is extremely successful at what he does – but more importantly, the Team feels that they are successful in what they do.

Contrast this with another situation where another colleague of mine took over a team in reasonably good shape, good team ethos, strong processes but lacking in Focus. This person really wanted to make her mark - and right at that point was her undoing. Instead of leveraging the fundamental principle of “If they work for you, You work for Them” – and in her anxiety to make a lasting impression – what came across to the People was exactly that.

I always say – People can smell a fake a mile away. If ever an aspiring Leader starts with the premise of “What’s in it for me?” – that is a sure recipe for disaster.

With both of these colleagues there was one common thread – both had the desire to create Positive Change. If ever there was truth to the aphorism “The Ends justify the Means” – it ends here. The Means are just as important and vital as the Ends. In Leadership it is always about BOTH the Means and the Ends. One took the path of valuing individuals, and through those means achieving the ends. The other started with the End of creating Focus and ignored the individual until it was too late.

You may very well ask if therefore the Means are more important than the Ends. The differentiator is the sense of Purpose. In one situation, the Purpose was to influence positive change for the People. In the other there was a desire for positive change for the People, but the Leader in their haste to demonstrate Positive Change ignored the People.

Primarily, we recognize Leaders by their desire to create Positive Change for People within the Context. Similarly, we also castigate Leaders (And I hesitate to call them this) by their desire for Change irrespective of People.

JFK Jr. said it absolutely right with – “Ask not what your Country can do for you; ask what you can do for your Country”. Replace “Country” with your own context – Boss, Team, Organization, Community, Group, State etc.