Essentials of leadership

September 1, 2016

At a recent meeting with students at the Ivey Business School at Western University, I reflected on some of the attributes of good leadership that I have observed  over a lifetime of working in the worlds of business, government and the voluntary sector. Six attributes top my list:  ambition, integrity, knowledge, vision, empowering others and excellence.

Ambition is where it all begins…the desire to create, to build, to achieve. Ambition is often inspired by dreams and by the belief that with hard work and good luck, dreams can become reality. Ambition is what overcomes fear of failure and what drives those who fail to try and try again. Adversity can drive ambition. Many of Canada’s leading entrepreneurs have been been stunning achievers despite – or perhaps because of – the fact that they were born into families and situations without privilege. Ambition should be recognized and celebrated for what it is: the life force that fires creativity and drives us to reach for the outer limits of our imagination.

Integrity encompasses a collection of virtues, among them honesty, authenticity and humility. A deep sense of integrity is the most powerful check on runaway ambition. Among the leaders I have known, those who have been short on integrity have almost always in the end failed. A lack of integrity can manifest itself in myriad ways. It may involve cutting corners, or as it is often said, sailing too close to the wind. It may involve abusive  behaviour, the most pernicious of which is disrespect of subordinates. Or it may involve outright dishonesty in the form of lying, cheating or fraud.  When it comes to integrity, there can be no compromise.

Knowledge – deep knowledge, relevant knowledge,  up-to-date knowledge…a leader thirsts for it, a leader has the zeal of an enquiring mind. Harnessing knowledge requires discipline and plain hard work. One of the causes of lacklustre performance or even failure among leaders is that they don’t know enough. Having attained a leadership position, their ability to mask their deficiencies disappears. Intellectual capital is most productive when it has deep roots, and to sink such roots requires a lifetime of effort. My advice to young people I mentor is embrace education with passion; read as widely as you can;  obtain a solid grounding in philosophy, literature, languages, politics, history  and economics. And get as much practical experience outside of your intended vocation as you possibly can. As you climb the ladder of success stay on to top of your subjects. Think leading edge…stay leading edge.

Having vision is one of the most prized essentials of good leadership – the ability to see beyond the horizon and to understand how to seize the opportunities that beckon.  The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer summed it up concisely:  “Talent hits a target  no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see”.  History celebrates those who looked to the outer reaches of their imagination and courageously followed their impulses. They dared to dream and were willing to take risks to go where others feared to tread. It is the willingness to act on one’s instincts and beliefs that most sharply separates the dreamer from the achiever.

Empowering others – no leader can ultimately succeed  by acting alone. Masters of the art have a number of things in common. They embrace, rather than feel threatened by, individuals who are as smart as they are, if not smarter. They foster a working environment where there is a healthy balance between freedom and control, where the highest standards are set and are clearly communicated, where creative thinking and innovation are strongly encouraged. They motivate their team as a coach would do by urging them to exceed their perceived limits and to give flight to their dreams. Mark Twain put it simply: “Great people are those who can make others feel that they, too, can become great”. Tone at the top is key. Effective leaders are those who command respect because of their abilities and, at the same time, show genuine empathy for others, exercising  courtesy in all their dealings. Add to these a strong dash of humility and you have a leader who will inspire both affection and loyalty.

The pursuit of excellence is often characterized as aiming to do one’s best. It is more demanding than this. It requires passion, a keen eye for detail, hard work and an aversion to unnecessary compromise. A thoughtful observer  put it this way: “Excellence can be obtained if you care more than others think wise, risk more than others think safe, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible.”