When you hear the word “leadership”, who or what comes to mind?
Leadership is that uniquely human energy that unlocks the will inside of others to dedicate their best efforts to a worthy and meaningful outcome.
That’s four things:
- Confronting Reality to Define Meaningful Work
- Aligning Work Tasks to Individual Capabilities
- Creating a Culture of Investment
- Generating and Investing Human Energy
Confronting Reality to Define Meaningful Work
A leader is a person who has the courage to confront the reality of the world (or of a country, or of a market, or of a company, or of a community, or of a family, or…) and define an aspirational vision for how it can be fundamentally changed for the better. A leader also has the courage to communicate the unvarnished truth about today’s reality–how it differs from the vision of the future. The gap between the current state and the future state defines the necessary investment, maybe even sacrifice, required to move the world from the current state to the future one.
Looking reality directly in the face is not easy. Even imagining an inspirational future state is not easy. Nobody ever promised that leadership would be easy.
Aligning Work Tasks to Individual Capabilities
A leader has the ability to look at people, at least some of the time, not as employees or resources, not even as teammates, but as human beings with God-given capabilities. A leader has the ability to clearly define each person’s highest-impact contribution and help him or her to understand it. To understand the overlap between what they do well, what excites them or gives them energy, and what is required to complete the mission.
That is a person’s “best efforts.”
After defining it, all that’s left for success is to align work assignments to each individual’s ability to contribute. This is not easy. Nobody promised that leadership would be easy.
Creating a Culture of Investment
Leaders also have the capability to unlock the will inside of others to invest. Maybe even to sacrifice. To truly dedicate their best efforts in service of the defined outcome.
Not to comply, or check boxes, or “get it done.” To invest. Maybe even sacrifice.
This requires belief. Belief that the future you’ve defined is worthy of sacrifice.
It also requires the ability to connect with what motivates others. This requires understanding. Understanding requires humility. Developing humility is not easy.
Generating and Investing Human Energy
Finally: Don’t underestimate the impact of human energy. In order to consistently confront reality, define a vision for the future, connect people’s capabilities to their work, and motivate them to sacrifice, a leader must make sure that his or her physical and emotional energy is in abundant and constantly replenishing supply. To paraphrase a wise colleague, “A leader nourishes the resource.”
That’s leadership: that uniquely human energy that unlocks the will inside of others to dedicate their best efforts to a worthy and meaningful outcome.
What makes a truly great leader?
It’s not being the best at defining meaningful outcomes. It’s not being the best at helping others unleash their greatest contribution. It’s certainly not having the most energy.
In leadership, those skills are table stakes.
What then? We couldn’t put it better than the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory: “Good leaders create followers. Great leaders create leaders.”
What do you think makes a great leader?
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