The personal dilemma of leadership - it's all yours

During recent leadership and positioning workshops, I have referred to an obscure line from Shakespeare’s Henry V. The line illustrates the personal cost of being a leader and the heavy responsibility for people which is often overlooked when being sold the glory of leadership. I remember a delegate saying: “I wasn’t interested in Shakespeare. I am now.”

Let me take a paragraph to explain the line, and then get back to what we found in the workshops.

Playing Henry V had been on my bucket list since about 1990, and I finally did it at Knaresborough Castle in 2014. Shakespeare’s Henry is leader in turmoil, torn between (1) the man-of-the-people he wants to be (2) the king he’s expected to be (3) the king he’d like to be. I think the play is more about his journey in leadership than the victory at Agincourt, but that’s Shakespeare: the greatest character-writer who ever lived. Throughout the play, we see Henry step into each role and the various levels of discomfort that follow. On the eve of the Battle of Agincourt he disguises himself and walks among the soldiers to ask what drives their loyalty. He’s traumatised by what he hears and sits alone to reflect upon the dilemmas of leadership* that are rarely addressed. The next day, he delivers the St Crispin’s Day speech** – one of the best ever written – which hits a compromise between the three roles that divided him.

Back in the workshops, we found varying levels of misalignment between senior management, middle management and non-management staff and an interesting trend appeared.

For clarity, here are the four definitions that I use in positioning workshops:

• Vision: What you think a perfect world looks like whether you’re in it or not.
• Mission: Your significant part in that world.
• Strategy: How you will achieve your mission and take your customers with you.
• Value Proposition: The measurable benefit you offer, beyond the simple value of what you supply.

From a long discussion, one very strong correlation I spotted was that when Value-Proposition is given strategic priority over vision and mission (the purpose), there is a greater misalignment in leadership and internal engagement. Now, I'm not referring to an approach as vulgar as "do whatever brings the money in" because the Value Proposition is essential; but it seems to be the vision and mission that unite the organisation and its audience, and for longer. I have found that when vision and purpose are the most agreed upon at senior level, there follows a greater level of alignment throughout the organisation, more confident middle-management, and better engagement. There have been enough studies to show the double-digit improvements which are wrought by that condition.

This puts the duty, discipline and defence of the corporate vision squarely on the individuals at the top. So I advise exec teams to be clear on that (and the structure of its storytelling) before sharing any content with the internal and external worlds. Even Sun Tzu said this, over 2,000 years ago:

“Be firm in your resolve and certain that your generals and captains agree upon desires. Do they believe strongly in the same ideal? Do they believe in you? Do YOU believe in you? If not, rethink your attitude and desires.”

This is the dilemma and duty of leadership – because you have a duty to the people you inspire – to their pride and motivation, and therefore all the actions and rewards that follow. This is what keeps wholehearted leaders awake at night.

Henry: “ [...] all lay upon the king, who must bear all. Oh harsh condition - twin-born with greatness! [...] 'tis not the sword, the mace, the crown imperial, the throne he sits on […] not all these, thrice-gorgeous things laid in bed majestical, can sleep so soundly as the starved wretch who, with a body filled and vacant mind, gets him to rest and sleeps in Elysium.”

Exeunt.

* Act IV, Scene 1 "Upon the King [...]"

** Act IV, Scene 3 "What's he that wishes so? [...]"