What I think leadership looks like.

The philosopher Heraclitus said that the only constant in the world is change. To many people, the pace and amount of change is overwhelming. I struggle with it daily, and I have the scars to prove it. This week, Fox News attempted to compare the current American president with his predecessor and said it was the first time we had a leader in the White House in four years. At first, I was angry with the statement, but after some reflection, I decided I needed to write down what I thought was good leadership. As someone who coaches leadership and business process improvement, I should place my understanding in the public sphere.

Preface –

Before I begin, I want to state the obvious. I deliberately do not like to discuss politics on this blog. I feel that there are better places on the web for that kind of content on both the political left and the right. I will leave that discussion to people with more expertise and experience.

When I discuss politics, it is often in the context of what is happening within a business or the interaction of a company and its regulators. Over my career, I have discovered that a large corporation behaves like a feudal society, with executives and investors at the top and the people generating the actual value for the business at the bottom. Unfortunately, the structure of a limited liability company that issues stock prevents the employees from rising in rebellion like they did against the aristocrats of the French Revolution. The harsh reality of this situation means that if we want to do anything to make business better for everyone, we have to try to reform systems from within that stubbornly wish to resist change. It brings me to my thoughts about leadership.

Ductus Extemplo –

Leadership is not about being in charge. Over the years, I have discovered that leadership is about serving others and accomplishing things. It takes me to examples of leadership I learned from United States Marines, which lead by example, epitomized by the Latin phrase “Ductus Extemplo.” Stories of officers having the phrase tattooed upon their bodies are familiar. Early in training, Marine officers learn to feed their people first and ensure their well-being. The reasoning is straightforward. Marines are often put in dangerous and difficult situations and expected to get a job done. Officers must count on their troops to sacrifice to get the job done. In exchange, the troops know they can count on their leaders to make them successful.

It is why leadership by example is so important. Officers often do not ask their people to do things they would not do themselves. It means helping clear minefields or watching prisoners. It empowers you to begin meetings punctually and confidently. The leadership style is walking the walk and letting it speak loudly for you. It speaks louder than any shouting or boasting ever could.

Radical Candor –

When I first witnessed Kim Scott speak at a keynote at Agile 2018, she was having a bad day. The public address system was not working well. The crowd wanted to leave early because it was the last speech of the conference, and people wanted to catch their flights home, but what she said that day still resonated with me. Leadership requires Radical Candor.

Scott explains Radical Candor as caring for people personally and holding them accountable for their actions. It means that you involve yourself in the lives of the people you work with and care about them as people. Often, we hear in business meetings that we need resources to do work. It is a wrong approach. People do the job, and they are messy and imperfect. It is up to leaders to do what they can to inspire others by example and provide the support they need to succeed. Sometimes, individuals must deliver uncomfortable truths rather than comfortable narratives. It requires awkward moments and discomfort.

The best way I can describe it is a struggle and transformation from what you were to what you want to be today. It requires a commitment to truth no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient because radical candor demands accountability to yourself and others.

The lonely nature of leadership –

Collin Powel is a complicated figure in American history. His story with Norman Schwarzkopf tells the transformation of the United States military from a broken organization in the aftermath of Vietnam to the one that dominated the First Gulf War and the world we experience today. Powel has twelve leadership principles, and the one which sticks with me is his admonition that leaders piss people off.

Holding others accountable for their actions is complex and often treated like a personal insult. People get pissed at you when you tell them to do better, or you hold them to higher standards. It is why Powel said leadership is pissing people off because many people want to get by on the smallest amount of effort.

It creates a second characteristic of leadership. Serving others and being in charge is often a lonely and isolating act. Even when others surround you, you are often alone with your thoughts and responsibilities. It is isolating and lonely unless you have others you can confide in or talk to outside your leadership context.

In summary –

Leadership is not about cruelty, displays of power, or phony machismo. I see leadership as leading by example, showing radical candor toward others, and a lonely enterprise. You do it not for the power and perks but because you want to accomplish something and help others succeed.

It is easy to take personal pot shots at political leaders. Instead, I will continue to be proactive and educate others on my leadership style. In the end, I suspect the results will speak for itself.

Until next time.