By Patrick Calhoun
July 5, 2011
Leadership is an elusive quality. We think we know it when we see it: From Moses to Margaret Thatcher, leaders have given shape and purpose to history’s most important developments.
Yet as a concept, leadership remains obscure, and for many, difficult to grasp.
The good news is that, in spite of its elusive quality, the principles of leadership can be learned. By studying and applying the lessons of leadership, and cultivating the skills of leadership, a young person will be better prepared to navigate the personal and political challenges he or she will face.
Leaders can be found at all levels of society, in every community and every organization. Consider just a few prominent examples:
· Bill Walker was a high school janitor who loved his work and his students. Bill provided odd jobs to less fortunate students at his own expense, fed others in the school cafeteria, and counseled teenagers about their problems.
· Mother Teresa never led an army into battle, but she inspired an army of followers with her desire to help the poor and was granted sainthood after her death for her leadership.
· Booker T. Washington did not command others to change their attitudes, but rather commanded their respect by preaching personal responsibility and leading by example.
· Winston Churchill is remembered for his remarkable wit, but secured a place in history because of his resolve to defend England in “its darkest hour” during World War II.
· Ronald Reagan is perhaps best remembered for his ability to communicate, but it was his leadership on foreign policy that brought down the Berlin Wall and ended the Cold War.
The qualities of leadership differ, but there are certain principles that have been shared by virtually every great leader.
Some leaders have understood only one or two of these principles, but were still able to accomplish great things. The individual who can master all of the following concepts, and apply them successfully, can change not only his own life, but more importantly, can make life better for those he serves.
Let’s explore these 12 principles in more detail.
Leaders Study and Understand Human Nature
Leadership begins with a a careful study and understanding of human nature. When seeking to influence another, ask yourself, what motivates this person? Leaders understand the powerful role that self-interest plays in motivating individuals.
Self-interest is the foundation of Western Civilization. That’s because individual self-interest is held in check by the Christian concepts of love and moral restraint. In business, leaders who conduct a company’s affairs with high ethical standards often run the most successful businesses.
In fact, capitalism is an invaluable guide to understanding human nature, because it promotes cooperation and rewards customer satisfaction. The primary goal of today’s best-run companies is to meet customer needs. Customers flock to take advantage of Wal-Mart’s “everyday low prices” and to consume value meals at McDonald’s. Today’s leaders should foster a strong understanding of how capitalism reflects and shapes human motivation.
Remember: To be effective, a leader must understand basic human needs, emotions, and how people respond. It is essential, therefore, that leaders understand the incentives that motivate others to follow.
Leaders Accept Responsibility
Results count; excuses don’t. Leaders must be willing to take full responsibility for success or failure because that’s part of the job description.
In 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower carried a second speech in his breast pocket on D-Day to announce defeat when Allied forces hit the beaches at Normandy. The alternative speech was written in the event of failure and fortunately was never read. Eisenhower was prepared to take complete responsibility for the success or failure of the Normandy invasion.
Leaders don’t blame others. Real leaders carry the burden of success or failure on their own shoulders.
Leaders Develop Self-Discipline
Self-discipline is the foundation of leadership. Before you can lead others, you must first be able to control your own impulses.
The author Wendell Berry said, “The true test of character is free whiskey.” The lesson in his statement is to never overindulge and most especially at someone else’s expense. In a similar vein, Abraham Lincoln once said, “If you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Self-discipline is achieved by knowing when to act and the ability to restrain base impulses. It also takes self-discipline to focus on the important things and wait on everything else.
Leaders Are Dependable
Leaders are always dependable. “Say what you mean and do what you say” is an adage to live by.
Dependability is based on character, and character is more important than intellect. What a man stands for and the values he projects will motivate subordinates more than anything else.
It also takes conviction and the personal drive to follow through and make it happen. We’ve all known high-profile coaches who possessed all the talent, knowledge, and skills, but lacked the conviction to lead his team to a championship. Dependability—the willingness and the ability to follow through—are critical.
Leaders Define Goals and Objectives
Good leaders define goals and objectives and communicate them effectively.
It is not enough to simply tell subordinates what to do—it is equally important to tell them why and to explain how their individual task will contribute toward reaching the desired goal.
Leaders Provide Direction
Effective leaders provide direction by articulating both the “how” as well as the “why,” but the best leaders also have the ability to inspire and motivate others in order to get the job done. Therefore, a leader must be able to communicate.
The two most common approaches are positive and negative leadership. Positive leadership offers rewards instead of punishment, and has proven to be the most effective. Anyone who has ever trained a dog quickly realizes that you get much better results with treats as opposed to a rolled-up newspaper over the head. Pointing followers in the right direction is important, but positive motivation generally gets better results.
However, even though positive leadership often delivers the best performance, it sometimes takes the threat of discipline to keep troops in line. Leadership requires motivating teamwork that brings out the best individual effort and is based on what is also good for the individual. The most effective leaders are those who use the right balance of reward vs. punishment and inspire others to do their best.
Leaders Have Vision
If you stand too close to a French impressionist painting, such as those by pointillism master Georges Seurat, all you will see are the dots, brush strokes, and dabs of paint. When you look at the painting from a distance, the whole picture and its message becomes clear.
Likewise, a good leader must develop a vision of the objective as well as the means to accomplish the goal. To do this, a leader must “step back” to see the whole picture and not just its components.
It takes vision to attain a goal. Reaching an objective is like planning a trip. First, you must know where you are, second determine the destination, and finally, pull out a roadmap to develop the route you will follow. Unfortunately, many political and business objectives require leaders who can draw their own map.
Equally important is the ability to go around roadblocks and have the persistence to continue through the roughest terrain.
Leaders Have Knowledge
The old adage that “knowledge is power” is based on the fact that information on the task at hand will determine success or failure. The most effective leaders are often those who have climbed through the ranks and have acquired knowledge about all levels of an organization.
Unfortunately, society is full of well-educated people who can’t tie their own shoelaces much less instruct others in the process, because they have little real-world experience.
How does one acquire knowledge? Certainly, an education helps, but it’s what you learn through experience that is most important.
Experience alone however, is not enough because the world is constantly changing. Eric Hoffer warned, “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” A leader must read voraciously and keep up with events – especially those in the leader’s field of endeavor.
He must also develop listening skills. Listening to other opinions and perspectives is part of learning. Through listening, you might discover flaws in your own plan and the worst that can happen is that you gain information to confirm your position.
Knowledge can only be acquired by listening with an open mind, and keeping an open mind does not require a leader to surrender his core values. The best way to defend important values is to have the knowledge to understand all sides of an argument. You will never identify your opponent’s ideological weakness, or persuade him or her to see your viewpoint, with a closed mind and open mouth.
Leaders Make Decisions
After all the facts are understood, good leaders make decisions. Ultimately, the commander makes the decision to move forward and engage a problem. This requires a degree of mental toughness, self-confidence, and stamina on the part of the leader. Confidence inspires optimism in others; the lack of it can produce failure.
After a decision is made, it takes mental toughness, courage, and a disciplined will to stay on course.
Leaders Empower Others
Skyscrapers are not built alone. Construction, like any other endeavor, involves many people with different skills and multiple talents. A good leader quickly identifies those who are best suited for a particular job and empowers them to excel.
There are not enough hours in the day to conquer the world alone. Empires have fallen and great organizations have failed because of micromanagement from the top. Leaders must delegate authority to create a high-performance team.
Leaders Take Risks
Leaders must have the courage to take risks. As the old adage says, “You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” It also requires the courage to implement your plan and follow it through. The biggest challenge for many is finding the courage to defend their values and make decisions based on principle.
We live in a world where peer-pressure is so strong that it immobilizes many who simply can’t stand up to the inevitable attacks. It always takes courage to stand on principle.
Ultimately, Leaders Are Servants
During the U.S. Civil War, General Robert E. Lee commanded respect and devotion from his troops because he cared about them. Lee never ate until his men were first fed. On one occasion, and to the chagrin of some of his officers, Lee sent scarce meat received at camp headquarters as a gift from local residents to the sick and wounded at a nearby field hospital.
History has shown that “servant leaders” earn both respect and increased effort from those they lead. Leadership requires motivating teamwork that brings out the best individual effort and is based on what is also good for the individual as well as the group.
As with General Lee, a leader’s sacrifice, self-denial, love, loyalty, and humility will always bring out the best in any group.
Conclusion
Leadership is about identifying problems, proposing solutions, and developing a positive and cooperative relationship with others in order to achieve the goals that are important to both leader and follower.
Nothing can be accomplished without the discipline, courage, and persistence to develop a strategy and see the job to its end. Nothing is worse than an arrogant or ignorant leader who acts with little knowledge, refuses to listen, and cares nothing about the impact of his decision on others.
History has given us many examples to follow. But true leadership is defined with one simple sentence in Matthew 20:28 from the greatest leader of all time: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
Menu