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Lead at Any Level
by Michael Kenney
I really wonder whether or not we need another article about leadership. I have read many in recent years. For the most part they were very good, but left me wondering if have we spent enough time discussing the potential leader in all of us? Many writings were colorful and interesting – fun to read and inspiring emotionally. They created in me a renewed conviction to excel – to maximize my own potential as a leader. To this end they were helpful. But, for me, it was hard to translate that zeal into actions that produce lasting results. The principles and values so passionately embraced at the time of reading dissipated soon afterward leaving me, and those in my sphere of influence, unchanged. It came down to this: when I tried to put my enthusiasm into practice, most times I wasn’t effective. I reasoned that if I delivered the same message and energy to others, surely tangible outcomes would appear. They didn’t. The result was a long, hard look at myself as a leader – wondering why the changes I wanted so badly to make, simply weren’t taking root. It caused me to ponder what true leadership really is; and what it isn’t, and why so many of us fail in this important aspect. I’ve made some observations, which may not be necessarily profound, but I’m hopeful they might help develop the hidden leader in you.
Leadership must have practical applications to be meaningful. From what I’ve observed, we may have become so accustomed to words being separate from actions that we unconsciously skip over the implementation part without much thought. Deliver the big punch, then walk away…quickly. Before anyone figures out it’s just words. We’ve become comfortable placing “leadership” into one compartment while “follow-through” is assigned to another. In fact, in some work cultures, follow-through, or measured accountability, is relegated to a lower designation than that of leadership. We sometimes call this the distinction between managing and leading…subtly implying that leaders are superior to managers. Personally, I’ve managed a lot in my career and I’ve lead a lot too, I think. After 25 years of it, the distinction is becoming less clear. I propose that the times I was holding myself and others accountable to the mark of excellence; refusing to accept sub-standard performance and doggedly, and wearily sometimes, insisting on clarity and measurable improvement….I was being a leader.
Leadership is most clearly defined by outcomes, not emotions. It cannot emphasize the theoretical while ignoring results. In fact, it’s worse to speak of leadership and have no tangible results, than to maintain mediocrity. At least then you haven’t created expectations that won’t be fulfilled. A dynamic speaker can inspire hope – make us feel great at the time; yet never cause any lasting change. Coming down from the emotionally charged high to the sobering reality of business-as-usual leaves us with a “cynicism hangover”. It renders us less likely to take risks and hinders us from becoming the leaders we really are meant to be. Effective personnel quickly distinguish performance from verbiage. They realize that no tangible results point to executive impotence and they invest themselves accordingly. Ineffective personnel don’t know or care; and are content to go along for the ride as long as they get paid and are not challenged. The natural upshot of this is that, in leaderless organizations, the competent leave and the incompetent stay, driving the organization into a downward spiral of dysfunction and loss.
To establish leadership, people must believe in you. Your peers and colleagues must believe that you have the ability to improve the organization with actions and not mere words. Before they follow, they must believe you can lead. The most convincing actions are those that require personal sacrifice on your part. If they haven’t seen you struggle, agonize and sweat, they won’t follow. They know talk is cheap. They’ll assess your commitment based on what they see, not what you say your values are. If they can’t point to specific instances of sacrificial commitment from you, don’t expect commitment from them. For a wonderfully clear illustration of this, I refer you to The Five Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni. The first, and most difficult temptation to overcome is the temptation to place your career above the good of the organization. Unfortunately, there are too many examples recently of CEO’s bailing out with golden parachutes while their companies go down in flames. I’d bet you that right up until the last minute before bailing, these people were regarded as leaders. Of course in hindsight, their lack of leadership is plainly visible. Were early warning signs missed? How did these executives conduct themselves on a daily basis? Were their values known? Were the sacrifices mentioned above apparent? It’s important is to examine leadership performance continually – and make sure your measuring leadership and not something else. Sometimes we confuse leadership with rank or personality.
Leadership is not authority. Your title, position or rank have little, if anything, to do with leadership. It’s easy to confuse authority with leadership if you’re not looking closely. A good analogy for understanding the difference is to consider one group of people being driven to a destination, and one being led. The image of being driven suggests someone with a whip that relies on the infliction of pain to propel the group forward. Suggestions that there may be a better way, made by those being driven, will not be tolerated; and they will be whipped into line. When a group is led however, two components are present: (1) the leader knows the way, and; (2) the followers are willing to follow because of choice. Situated in front, the leader has a clear vision of the destination and motivates those behind by coaching, encouragement and example. To those casually observing the process, the difference may seem minimal, but to those in the pack, the difference between leadership and authority is quite clear.
Leadership is not charisma. Like authority, charisma is often mistaken for leadership. In high school, where competence is often confused with popularity, we elect Justin and Abby to student council seats not because they know much about governing or making decisions, but because they are popular. We haven’t grown up much. This deficiency is still evident in our present political process. Physical image, social skills and great articulation have far more influence, when running for office, than critical thinking skills or humility. In the political arena, the ability to be charming is more important than the ability to see ahead and steer the ship away from the rocks. The distinction between charisma and leadership might be viewed as follows:
Charisma
Leadership
stirs the emotions
produces actions
seeks popularity
seeks integrity
lessens with time
strengthens with time
emphasizes individual success emphasizes team success
is fragile
is enduring
is neat
is messy
plays it safe
is willing to risk
avoids conflict
accepts conflict
needs a crowd
knows loneliness
The truth is, real leadership is hard, calculating and effective. It is not glamorous nor for the faint hearted. It can be gut wrenching during the difficult times and euphoric when success is achieved…but it is never dull and certainly isn’t “safe”.
Leadership requires some skills and natural gifting, but, in the final analysis, it’s mostly hard work, an open mind and perseverance. Real leadership does not suffer needy egos or people full of themselves, but is reserved for those who embrace humility, sacrifice and team success. This is why we can rightly say that leadership happens at every level - it’s for everyone. You need neither rank nor charisma – just a passion for excellence and determination.
I write this article to encourage those of us who don’t perceive themselves as leaders. There’s good news and bad news for all: The bad news is that it’s not easy, natural or instant. You can’t get it from wishing or reading articles like this. The good news is that leadership is as achievable as you want it to be. Your success and growth are directly proportionate to your commitment. What are you waiting for?
| About The Author Mike Kenney has spend 29 years working in the correctional field. Starting at the bottom and working up, he has now been the Warden of three prisons, including his current position as Warden of the Nebraska State Penitentiary. He has a B.A. in Psychology form Doane College, and studied ethics and counseling at Regent College, University of British Columbia. His concern about inefficiency in public sector organizations compels him to write about practical leadership. A student of public corporate culture, he proposes to stimulate leadership for everyone, regardless of rank title. |
submitted by the author
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