Leadership concepts and practices

Leadership

The only constant in life is change. Perhaps, it is the recognition of this fact that led the management guru, Peter Drucker, to observe, "Leaders grow; they are not made." Peter Drucker's words are significant because they imply that the test of true leadership lies in the ability to grow by leading change (1999). Indeed, some of the world's greatest leaders such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King are admired precisely because they possessed such a quality: "Effective leadership, research suggests ... is a function of the situation in which it is found." (Kotter, 1988, p. 21) Thus, it is evident that good leaders are people who continuously engage in a process of change in order to secure a better future.

The examples of Roosevelt, Gandhi, and King also serve to illustrate another quality that a good leader must possess, which is the quality of courage. This is evident in the manner in which each of these men were able to face down the adversity of extreme situations such as the Great Depression, World War II, British colonial rule and American racial segregation. Courage, unfortunately, is a character trait that is found in very few people. Which is why, it is probably the singular trait that distinguishes a good leader from the rest. In fact, this characteristic of leadership is aptly captured by a Chinese proverb, which says, "An army of a thousand is easy to find, but, ah, how difficult to find a general." (Heart Quotes Center)

Of course, the Chinese proverb quoted above can also be interpreted as referring to several other qualities that make a good leader, all of which are also rarities. For instance, a good leader is a person who must be able to inspire trust and confidence. This is particularly so because fear is a predominant emotion in humans, which explains why people have tolerated oppression and injustice throughout history. Therefore, for leadership to be effective, it has to invoke courage and optimism in people by showing them a convincing vision of the future. To do so requires sincerity and, more important, an ability to connect with people at a human level. Indeed, every time that a leader has been able to connect with followers on such a level, it has led to some of the world's greatest success stories such as Lee Iacocca's turn around of Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s or Herb Kelleher's leadership of Southwest Airlines.

Interestingly, a key requirement for a leader to be able to connect with people is the sharing of common values. However, it is not enough for a leader to simply pay lip service to values such as integrity, courage, determination and accountability. For, if a leader is to succeed in inculcating such values in people, it is critical that he or she lead by example. Indeed, it can even be argued that a good leader is distinguished by the moral authority he or she displays at all times. This includes the courage to acknowledge a personal mistake and possessing the resilience to carry on after every defeat, without a loss in resolve. In fact, it is worth noting here that one manual on military leadership states, "Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience." (Heart Quotes Center)

Leadership by example is also important to facilitate the development of people and empower them to lead themselves. In other words, a good leader is someone who is a teacher and coach rather than a director. One leadership analysis calls such a person a "Superleader." (Harris, 1993, p. 373) Business organizations are now increasingly beginning to grasp the importance of such leadership, as evidenced by the emergence of the learning organization and the emphasis on employee empowerment. Marriott Hotels, for example, empowers its employees to spend $10 at their discretion to satisfy guests. In one such case, a guest complained about not finding a particular book in the hotel gift shop and the cashier, at the end of her shift, walked to a local bookstore and purchased the book with the $10 she was allowed. Naturally, the guest became a confirmed Marriott customer for life. Such an incident demonstrates empowerment and also shows how leadership becomes a matter of doing the right thing at the right time (Harris, 1993, p. 373-374).