Leaders Go First

By John Steiner

Can you think of someone you've encountered that you would say is a great leader? What difference did that person make? What do leaders really do for people? How do they do it?

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, in their best selling book The Leadership Challenge, set out to answer these questions. They spoke with people from all walks of life to determine what qualities people look for in a leader. They discovered that great leaders have five specific competencies:

1. Challenge The Process

Leaders must first be able to perceive the world around them accurately. In the words of Max DePree, "The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality."

Some of history's greatest leaders emerged because people's circumstances had become intolerable. Whether you consider George Washington, Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi, they each challenged difficult circumstances and had the vision to make changes. According to author Hal Pitt, "The number one reason to become a leader... is to do the right thing."

2. Inspire A Shared Vision

Great leaders understand that they cannot do it alone. They help people to realize that if each person contributes, we can make great changes together. As a matter of fact, this idea rings through in Kouzes and Posner's definition of leadership: "Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations."

Leaders do more than merely divide the labor, however. They also focus the efforts of their constituents around a specific vision. In the words of John C. Maxwell, "Anyone can steer the ship. It takes a leader to chart the course."

Great leaders do not just give people a destination; they give them the tools to reach the destination. They supply their constituents with the physical, mental and emotional tools to achieve their desired outcome. Great managers constantly track their employees' resources. Do they have the training to complete their assigned tasks? Do the have the right equipment? Are they hampered by outdated policies and procedures? Are they motivated!?

4. Model The Way

Leaders go first. Have you noticed that everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die first? Kouzes and Posner asked thousands of employees to rank 225 different leadership qualities on a list from most important to least important. One quality consistently emerged as the most important characteristic of a great leader: Honesty. Leaders must be walking, talking examples of their message.

I sometimes ask my management audiences, "Do people pay attention to what you say or what you do?" Although I get different answers, it's actually a trick question. I would like to suggest the correct answer is "Both!" People hear what you say, then watch what you do and assess your integrity accordingly.

5. Encourage The Heart

If I asked you to name the most effective leader you ever encountered, you would probably name the person who most inspired you to be a better person. They may have helped you build professional skills, and that is important, but what resonates most is when a leader helps us to grow personally.

When we are helping people to improve, we need to remember how people learn things. A common belief is that good judgment comes from experience — and experience comes from bad judgment! Simply put, great leaders tolerate mistakes. IBM founder Thomas Watson famously said, "The way to succeed is to double your failure rate." Leadership is a journey of highs and lows combined with the strength of vision to keep getting better.

Of course there are many opinions on the nature of a great leader. One seminar attendee summarized the leadership challenge eloquently, "You have to stay in love." As leaders, we must ultimately have a passion for helping people become more. We must challenge ourselves and others to reach their potential. For others to follow, you must bear the right intentions, a compelling vision, and a willingness to go first!

John Steiner is a corporate trainer and executive coach based in Los Angeles. He has helped many business people improve their efficiency and effectiveness; in some cases as much as 40 percent. He provides free initial consultations at 323.969.4614 and will be a featured speaker at the 2005 Annual Glovia User Group Conference May 22-26 in Long Beach, California.