Leadership Lesson #3: The Man in the Arena

One observation I’ve made in both my current and past leadership roles is that effective leaders are willing to put their ideas out into the world. They must, in other words, be willing to stand front and center with their vision and face the praise and scrutiny that their ideas may elicit. What makes this particularly difficult is that oftentimes, this is a solo act. While that vision may represent the collective thoughts, opinions, and suggestions of others in an organization, in the end, it is the leader that must walk out into the arena to explain, sell, and defend that vision.

The insight here is not about having the courage to face the crowd. While courage is important, equally important is that leaders must develop the wisdom to discern whose praise and scrutiny to take to heart. In other words, as I look back on the myriad of times where I’ve made my vision public, I’ve noticed that while I make a concerted effort to provide a space for all to comment and provide feedback, not everyone’s feedback is accepted equally. And while there are a number of factors that determine the kind of attention I give to people’s feedback, it is the “Man in the Arena” principle that determines whose counts the most.

As I listen to people’s comments and feedback on my ideas, I ask this simple question: Who in here has stepped into the arena? Who, in other words, has made their ideas and vision subject to scrutiny and criticism??

And it is the answer to this simple question that prompts me to take to heart the feedback of some while politely simply listening to that of others.?

I don’t know where some of you are in terms of making your vision public. However, if you are getting ready to speak/write your vision out into the world, being aware of who in your audience has stepped boldly into the arena will help quiet the noise that often accompanies such public efforts. My experience has been that those men and women who have walked your path–who have made themselves vulnerable to scrutiny–tend to provide feedback that is the most honest, the most constructive, and the most humble. Why? Simple. Because like you, they have been the “Man in the Arena.”