A641.1.3.RB - What is Great Leadership?

Richard Boyatzis has suggested that as many as 70-80% of organizational leaders are performing at a mediocre level.  He went as far as saying that if these leaders were taken out of their management role, the organization would function more smoothly (2017).  That is an astounding declaration!  Leaders who want to avoid becoming part of this group of mediocre leaders first need to obtain a mental image of what a good leader is.  Luckily, as Boyatzis suggested, most people already have an idea of what a good leader is and how a good leader interacts with the people around them.  

In order to solidify the mental image of good leadership and poor leadership Boyatzis (2017) suggested a simple exercise.  He said to get a blank sheet of paper and divide it into two columns.  At the top of the column on the left he said to put the name of a great leader that I have worked with; one who inspired me to be better and to do better, one with whom I really enjoyed working.  At the top of the right-hand column he indicated that I put the name of a mediocre leader; one who did not bring out the best in me and whom I tried to avoid.  After completing the exercise Boyatzis essentially said, “look at the right hand column.  See, you already know what great leadership is!” (2017).

As I reflected back on the two leaders I considered the specific ways in which they interacted with the people they led and how they affected me personally.  The first leader, the one who inspired me to be better, was the leader of a volunteer organization that I was a part of.  He was always positive and upbeat; he seemed to give energy to everyone that was around him.  He was kind-hearted and gentle; it was evident that he cared deeply for everyone he came into contact with.  He remembered the details about people, their lives, and their families.  It was very common for him to see someone he had not seen in a long time and ask something like “how is your mother doing? I remember you said she was ill.”  People naturally gravitated toward him and naturally wanted to follow him.  He did not use a “command and control” style with the people he led; he didn’t need to, he was able to naturally inspire them to do more and be better.  Personally I hung on every word that he said.  He frequently told stories about his past or about other people he had known.  Those stories did a couple things to improve his ability to lead.  First, they humanized him and they showed that he made mistakes and that he had good days and bad.  Additionally the stories helped to develop rapport with others and opened himself up to being known personally by them.  When that personal connection was made people wanted to follow his lead.  In many of my leadership opportunities I have tried to emulate this great man.

The other leader I reflected about, the one I put at the top of the right hand column, did not personally inspire me.  He “ruled with an iron fist” and used a “command and control” leadership technique.  He was not personal with anybody; it seemed that he did not care about those he led, and he was not open to us getting to know him on a personal level.  He seemed to only be concerned that we get results, that we fall in line, and that we stay out of trouble to keep him out of the microscope of upper management.  There were several instances that he behaved in a hypocritical way; he would discipline others for doing things that he had done previously himself.  His leadership was in the “do as I say, not as I do” style.  People avoided him because he seemed to consume energy instead of inspire.  It was not a good day when you were called into his office.  When he was finally removed from his position a sense of relief flooded over the workforce.

As I reflect back on these two leaders that I have worked with, Boyatzis’ statement becomes clear; that leadership is not a person, it is a relationship.  Leadership is concerned with the interactions and the relationship between people who lead and people who are led; it is a way of interacting that brings out the best in people and inspires them to lift themselves higher. (2017).  “Outstanding leaders are resonant, they are in tune with you; they are in sync” (Boyatzis, 2017).  I aspire to be part of the 20-30% of effective leaders that Boyatzis (2017) mentioned.  I aspire to develop quality relationships with those I lead, and to be a resonant leader.  Luckily, as Boyatzis (2017) demonstrated, I already know how.

Reference  

Boyatzis, R. (Jan 6, 2017). What is great leadership? [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/X1eCiWB1UD4

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A632.9.3.RB - Role of Emotion in Decision Making

Image
Decision overconfidence is a major challenge that confronts decision makers.  Overconfidence in decision making results when you believe you have more accurate information than you actually have; when you think you have a complete picture, but you only have part of it (Riordan, 2013).  Decision overconfidence results from overestimating the accuracy and depth of knowledge about the situation, ignoring disconfirming information, or feeling overly assured from similar situations in the past (Riordon, 2013).  Overconfidence in decision making can result in difficulties such as escalation of commitment bias, in which resources continue to be committed to a decision despite it becoming obvious that it is a failing course of action (Straw & Ross, 1987). Professor Baba Shiv of Stanford University argues that there are a few positive aspects to decision confidence.  The first is from the perspective of the organization. As organizations develop customer confidence...
Read more

A634.6.3.RB - What Are Virtues?

Image
LaFollette (2007) suggested that the best way to live a moral life is by cultivating virtues.  Aristotle thought of virtues as character traits and tendencies to act in a particular way (2018).  He thought that living a virtuous life was the key to happiness and a good life.  Additionally, Aristotle suggested that a virtuous person does the appropriate action, does it habitually, enjoys being virtuous, knows that it is virtuous, and knows why it is virtuous (LaFollette, 2007).   Benjamin Franklin had a lifelong commitment to cultivating virtues.  He developed a list of thirteen virtues that he considered were essential to virtuous living.  He also developed a chart he carried around with him that he could use to note when he had not adhered to one of the virtues.  Franklin focused on one virtue each week, so after thirteen weeks he had spent time trying to cultivate each one.  He would then start the process over again.  When Frank...
Read more

A635.2.3.RB_CliffordMarc

Image
How Companies Can Make Better Decisions Greenfield (2004) indicated that “moving some decision making closer to employees could easily become the most financially valuable initiative most companies could undertake.”  In addition, “most studies found a statistically significant positive relationship between strong corporate culture and financial performance.” Blenko (as cited in Harvard Business Review, 2010) stated that “Companies that are better at making and executing decisions really do seem to operate at a much faster metabolism and have better financial results.”  Organizations that empower their employees to make decisions demonstrate improved performance for a couple of reasons. First, recruiting and training expenses are reduced. Employees that are engaged and empowered are more loyal to their employers, and are less likely to seek alternative employment options. Companies that generate loyalty and engagement in their employees have lower turnover, and therefo...
Read more