Show, Don't Tell

A colleague recently told me about someone she used to work for. He was a well-respected business leader who did all the right things: he was strong, had a powerful vision for the organisation, and always got his own way. Or did he?

His style left a lot to be desired. His people used to dread what mood he’d be in – if it was a good day, all was fine. If not, then everyone used to tiptoe around him or try to stay out of his way. He never did anything for himself: he had a kind of Smithers (with apologies to The Simpsons) who delivered bad news whilst he always took credit for the big stuff.

Eventually the good caring people in the organisation walked, and he was left with a small group of Smithers types.

I tell this story to illustrate how NOT to be a great leader... Leadership is about behaviour. It’s about courage and humility; wisdom and sensitivity. And it’s about genuinely understanding the people in your organisation and what makes them tick. The autocratic leader’s days have gone. Today the best leaders are ethical, and their behaviour sustainable.

Leadership is about demonstrating integrity and healthy values which show this person is a leader worthy of following. A good leader helps people achieve a shared vision – it’s not imposed.

There used to be a programme on TV where business leaders got in the middle of their organisations, working alongside people incognito and finding out what their issues were. At the end of the week, they revealed their identity and agreed with their staff that certain processes or ways of working needed changing. Of course as they were in charge, the change happened.

It was extremely successful – the people at the sharp end were able to show where things were good, and (more usually) where they were not so good. The leaders actually connected with their staff – often for the first time – and were able to changes things for the better. An atmosphere of trust was established, and the ‘us’ and ‘them’ stereotypes broken down.