We were running a leadership session the other day and all the conversation was about what leaders need to do and I suddenly realised that this was the wrong conversation in respect of leadership.
Perhaps this is where the business schools and others who speak and write about leadership have missed the boat.
The world abounds with leaders who are doing many things. It is not that they are not busy; it is not that that are not doing. They are busy. Probably they are trying to do too much! This may be a big part of the problem.
The conclusion that I came to in that session listening to the conversation, and to the torrential rain pouring down all around us, was that it is much more important for a leader to stand for something important than to be busy doing things. This is where Mandela was so good. It was very clear to all of us what he stood for. He conveyed his views about what was required, and still is, very clearly and succinctly whenever he got the chance. And didn’t tolerate too easily those that went against those values.
The challenge for leaders is to find the balance between doing what is right and making sure that things are also done right. It is one thing to create big dreams deep into the future but another thing totally to make sure that the millions of small things that need to be done to ensure the delivery of the big dream are done and done properly, in the right order, perfectly, every time. This then is the measure of true leadership.
When one examines embryonic leaders, especially those of revolutionary, grassroots movements, the leaders are always visible always moving amongst their people talking to them, caring for them urging them onwards, engaging with them, feeling the temperature of the crowd.
Their focus is not on themselves and their needs but rather on what needs to be done, what needs to change to make society better for all. The best of these leaders are clear about what is acceptable and what not; they are strong for those who are not; they are compassionate for those who cannot fend for themselves; they inspire those who do not fully believe in themselves and what they can achieve; and, most of all, they work very hard at helping people to work together for the greater good.
Make no mistake, these are not leaders who are push-overs! Often they stand up for things that are not particularly popular but they explain, in the context of the big dream, why it is necessary to do unpopular things now in order to position ourselves to achieve what we dream of for the future.
They are recognised for what they stand for, what they represent. The values that they embody and espouse are clear to all. It is these values that the people following them buy into and commit themselves to. This was the case, too, in our country and many others.
The world is wrestling and battling with the weight of poor or absent leadership. We need the freshness that values-driven leadership brings with it. This is so in almost every nook and cranny of all parts of society all over the world.
The strangest thing of all is that invariably when things go wrong we immediately point at others. This is strange because it is within the capacity of all of us to make a difference, to take the lead, to show the way. It is not up to others but up to us to lead the way to a better world. Each one of us!
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