Leadership is about what we allow
John Maxwell says that leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less. I like the simplicity of the definition, especially knowing that the wisdom has deep roots. I always took the idea to mean ‘one’s ability to influence an individual toward a vision.’ Many have written that one of a leader’s key roles is ‘casting vision’ for the organization. It’s romantic, isn’t it? As a leader, I see the possibility of a better future and tell compelling stories that tug at the heart-strings of scores of people, calling forth their truer selves. This is the model of leadership I’ve aspired toward for years, studying exemplars in school and reading walls of books, outlining frameworks on how to stir the collective spirit.
Yet as I experience more and more leaders, the reality is far less glamorous. Leadership is about doing the hard work of reviewing resource requests and conducting performance reviews and negotiating with vendors to make the compelling possible. This is the work of leadership; the work of doing hard things because they need to be done. The work of reminding people of the vision, yes, but also of the behaviors necessary to realize that vision.
One recent client prides itself on its family culture. And like many families, there’s commitment to staying together, even if there’s no commitment to getting better. The dysfunction between Uncle Leon and Aunt Susan goes back years and runs deep and yet the family pretends its not there. Companies can operate similarly. Carol may really smart, but she’s passive-aggressive, unwilling to work with the team and creates drama with everyone she meets. Where is her boss? What part of the culture allows this behavior to continue? This is the hard work of leadership that wasn’t done, that isn’t being done, resulting in more than one of her direct reports leaving the company. Yes, Carol is at fault. And so is Barbara, her boss, absconding her responsibility to grow Carol and guide her toward the collective vision.
Leadership is as much about what we allow as it is what we direct. A good leader, like a good basketball coach, knows the difference between a good performance and a win. Kim Scott illustrates her experience in her book Radical Candor. Scott implores leaders to do the hard work of serving the organization and those they lead by having the uncomfortable conversation. These used to be called ‘difficult conversations’ but the primary difficulty is in overcoming our own discomfort. Personal comfort doesn’t serve others. Leadership gets up, has the difficult conversation, brings truth and grace and calls forth the better behavior. Leadership creates environments, including their boundaries, for individuals to do their best work. Casting vision is fun and is an important part of leadership, yet leaders are made on the front lines, doing the hard work of making vision happen.