Leadership Is a Term That Can Mean

Leadership is a term that can mean many things to many people in many situations. It can refer to a sergeant in the U.S. Army leading his men through minefields to track down enemy combatants in Afghanistan. It can mean the fastest car in a NASCAR race and it can allude to the young man in a Sunday School class who takes over competently when the regular teacher is unable to be present.

When discussing leadership it is helpful to use examples of people who showed leadership in various ways. The best-selling book by Michael Abrashoff (It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy) offers a wonderful glimpse into how a captain took over a Navy ship that was ranked very low in its capabilities because of a number of serious problems with personnel, with equipment, and obviously with leadership.

In Abrashoff's book the author reviews the many steps he took to transform that Navy ship from a very poor example of efficiency to a top-ranked Navy vessel. The way in which Abrashoff treated his crew is a very positive example of how leadership should play out in any workplace environment. To Abrashoff, who may seem like he was boasting a bit in some of the narrative, the key was building a good and trusting relationship with his crew. He listened very intently and sincerely to each sailor's story. He personally met and interviewed each of the several hundred members of his crew, showing all of them that he really cared and was interested in what they had to say.

In fact, to me it shows tremendous leadership to take certain employees who failed elsewhere -- as Abrashoff did on his Navy ship -- and train them, mold them, even push them into becoming the best they can be. Abrashoff took some of the misfits on his ship and with his leadership (he was a very good role model) he turned them into competent, confident crew members. He also was willing to change the rules if his sailors would come up with a better idea, which is a classic example of leadership. Any CEO or other executive with a corporation or with a nonprofit organization that fails to be flexible when his employees or volunteers come up with a better idea for the success of the organization is showing the opposite of what good leadership should be.

Question #2

Among the best ideas from Henderson I like several, including #4, "Don't be tough. Don't be easy. Be fair and consistent." One thing that employees are always seeking is consistency. They want to be able to come to work and find things running smoothly and they want their boss to be consistently fair. The boss that is given to mood shifts that are sudden and inexplicable will cause emotional stress among his group of employees. The boss who is fair with the attractive women on his watch but is rude and pushy with the men is not going to have a loyal following -- and is not likely to get the most out of his crew. The supervisor that is always the same when training or critiquing his employees -- who is fair-minded but firm -- is the one that will get the respect and loyalty of his employees.

And the teacher in high school that is firm but fair, who insists that all students turn work in on time and those that don't -- no matter what the excuse is or how good their grades have been -- are docked for tardiness, is a good leader in that position.

Another idea that Henderson presents that is positive is #6, "Lead by Example." Not every foreman or middle manager is going to get his or her hands dirty on the assembly line or in another workplace environment. But "lead by example" means that the supervisor or manager is seen to be working hard, pressing for a better product, constantly encouraging others to be the best they can possibly be. Those that lead by example come in early, double-check their work, and are the last to leave the building.