Redefining Successful Leadership

Many of us think about success in win-lose terms. A sports match is win-lose. A court case is win-lose. A political contest is win-lose. Often, we approach an argument or disagreement as win-lose. So, it’s perhaps not surprising that we sometimes define successful leadership in the same terms. A leader gets everything done the way they intended, or not. A leader wins or loses.

Leaders know their job is to change the order of things for the better. They know the status quo is powerful and it’s hard to change the way things are. They know people are often afraid of change - even when they believe it’s necessary or desirable - and so resistance always exists. Leaders know they cannot accomplish change or solve a festering problem alone, but must also depend on others accepting and driving change with them.

For all these reasons, win-lose, all-or-nothing thinking is counter-productive. Changing the order of things requires collaboration with others. Real change cannot be ordered, it must be embraced. People need to understand what’s in it for them. Leaders think in win-win terms.

Real change doesn’t happen overnight or all at once. Successful change is about building su?cient support, critical mass and forward momentum. New ways of doing things must be developed. As support and momentum build, more can be attempted and accomplished. As successes occur, ambition for change can increase. It’s not all or nothing. It’s some and then more.

Leaders aren’t “my way or the highway” types. Change is messy. Unforeseen events occur. People surprise you. Important details get overlooked. Mistakes get made. Problems fester for a reason; untangling them is complicated business. Solving them can be even more complex.

Leaders know there is much they can learn from those who are closest to the problem and therefore understand it best. Leaders ask questions as often as they provide answers. Leaders value adaptability and resilience, tolerate ambiguity and encourage frequent course-correction and constant innovation. It’s not “my way or the highway.” It’s “together, we’ll find our way.”

None of this implies that leaders are timid or hesitant about change. Leaders provide the clarion call by establishing aspirational goals that cannot be achieved by simply doing what has always been done before. Leaders have the strength of character to keep going - and motivate others to do the same - when the going inevitably gets tough.

Balance is the art of leadership. So true leaders balance their aspirations with realism and their strength with humility. They set the bar high and then strive for progress, not perfection.