We're Following the Leader...

Some people make leadership sound so simple. If only it were as easy as the lyrics to the song from Peter Pan:

" Following the leader, the leader, the leader – we're following the leader - wherever he may go!"

Just for the record, I do realize the lyrics say, "wherever he may go." Unfortunately, Peter Pan was released in 1953 (and originally written in 1904) ...so there's that. But I digress.

The truth is many remarkable leaders do make leadership look easy.

The rest of us know that's not true, but we're grateful if we've worked for at least one great leader in the span of our career. Nothing can impact a career quite like the education of working for and following a "real" leader. I've had more than one (you know who you are), and so I consider myself fortunate.

Experiencing great leadership is a luxury. Learning how to be a great leader isn't as easy as experiencing it alone. Over time, I've had a few leadership lessons foisted upon me, and sought out yet another – and it's worth knowing there are lessons you CAN actually take away from this sort of content.

There are two books on leadership that have made a difference in my career, and a third that I'm hopeful (after my first day of reading) will do the same.

The book that kick-started my leadership-journey, also happened to be required reading from Dr. Kiel's Public Affairs/Public Policy undergrad class: On Becoming a Leader, by Warren Bennis. Bennis delved into the qualities that define leadership, the people who exemplify it, and the strategies that anyone can apply to achieve it. 

I read Bennis - I underlined him - I dog-eared his pages. I was all-in with his six personal qualities that define a leader. And even though I didn’t have the leader title next to my name, I simply wanted to mirror these qualities every day:

Integrity - Dedication - Magnanimity (look it up, it will be worth it) - Humility - Openness - Creativity

Next up was Robert Greenleaf's book on Servant Leadership. Like book #1, Greenleaf’s work was required reading (grad school), but I wish I’d have been smart enough to pick it up on my own. Like Bennis, Greenleaf stirred my convictions of wanting to make a difference in people’s lives and make good on my family's mantra of "giving back."

Greenleaf’s recurring theme: 

"It's not about you. It's about others."

Coincidentally, this theme jived with what I'd often heard from my parents growing up:

"The world doesn't revolve around you."

As a 12-year-old, my mom’s words fell on deaf ears (as they had most of my life). Having learned well to tune out her sound-instruction, I also managed to fall out of a moving vehicle three times (3 times!) prior to my 12th birthday. My tumbles from the family Ford Galaxy were never from a lack of instruction – just selective hearing.  Now, in my thirties, my ears were tuning in to Greenleaf with much more clarity and I had “ears to hear,” so to speak. I even recalled my parent’s words about “serving others for the greater good” and it all started making sense.

Greenleaf reasoned:

“A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.”

Which brings me to the book I recently picked up, The Heart of Leadership: Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow - by Mark Miller.

Having recently taken a T-Mobile leadership class titled, “Personal Leadership Brand,” I was encouraged to revisit the topic of leadership. As a result, I discovered Miller’s book and was immediately sucked in by its title. I'm on day one of my reading plan and the theme I've discovered so far is similar to what I discovered in the first two books - and it's represented in the picture below:

According to Miller,

"Skills represent things that leaders do...the balance of the iceberg, the part under the water, represents leadership character. Ninety percent of our success as leaders will be determined by what's below the waterline. It's our leadership character that ultimately drives what we do, and why. It is a true reflection of who we really are as human beings."

Translation: Leadership character is the game changer.

Miller contends that our ultimate success (as leaders) will not be determined by our level of skills – skills are too easy to learn. "It's leadership character that trips up a lot of leaders."

The challenge is to understand, embrace, and cultivate both the leadership character and the skills needed to lead.

For what's it's worth:

I'm talking with an employee this week about taking the step from individual contributor to manager. Fortunately, this person has worked hard to establish her personal brand as one who leads even though she's not held an official leadership title. Lack of title notwithstanding, she’s built her daily reputation on problem-solving and doing so with character (the kind of character that makes for great leaders). It won’t surprise you to hear that she also ties her personal goals to T-Mobile’s nine (9) Values-in-Action (VIA) competencies (the core competencies that support our T-Mobile Values)! And here’s the kicker - - - she did so even though it was not a directive from her leader! Why? Because leadership character drives what she does every day on behalf of our five core values.

When we meet, one of our discussion points will be around the very thing she’s done so well, and it’s represented in a quote from Miller’s book. Variations of this quote abound, but its meaning is an effective reminder and reflective of how this employee has managed her career:

 "You can lead, with or without, a title. If you wait until you get a title, you could wait forever."

Takeaway: Leadership skills account for only 10% of one's success. Leadership character, on the other hand, ultimately drives what we do. Title or not, there's always room at the table for those who are willing to get their arms around both leadership character and the skills needed to lead well.

It's hard work, but it's great work and a necessary component for the organization as a whole.

As Miller summarized,

“Leadership growth always precedes organizational growth.”

Here’s to doing both well!

Dennis

#LeadersServe #WeWontStop