Our Tools-n-Tips #3 takes us to leadership spotting—how to recognise Influential Leadership in action versus the myriad fake behaviours that are all too often labelled as leadership.
I was tempted to rely on one of my favourite word-sets by Samuel Taylor Coleridge to epitomise how loosely we use the two terms leadership and leader, but I opted for an idea that relies on Thomas Sowell.[i]
(I cannot resist Coleridge’s four lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, so here they are.)
Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
Firstly, note that the phrase we use is ‘leadership spotting’ not ‘leader spotting’.
This is not a frivolous matter.
Suffice to say that Influential Leadership is clear about the direction of causation between leadership and leader.
In other words, we call a person an influential leader when they behave in an Influential Leadership manner, and they achieve productive outcomes.
It is a material matter that a person is recognised as a leader only when they have done what is defined as leadership.
This process principle (establishing the direction of causation) is one of the 101 characteristics that sets Influential Leadership apart from legacy forms thereof.
So, to be clear, Influential Leadership is NOT a function of a person’s office, personality, position, role or title.
Influential Leadership is independent of these conditions.
Not only is there sound logic to our position, but one of the great advantages of the Influential Leadership way is that we can assess or audit whether a person did actually behave in a leadership manner. And, if they did, we can call that person an influential leader in that instance!
Before we discuss our evidence toolkit, let me add another contextual element.
If you have been involved with the Alpha Programme or Influential Leadership in some way already, you will know that there are eight behavioural attributes built on the Influential Leadership philosophy and principles.
While the eight behavioural attributes are equivalent, meaning they must all occur together, there is one we recognise as the first amongst equals, namely, being self-aware. It is our starting point.
Follow this principle when you apply the evidence toolkit. Put anyone and everyone to the test—but always subject yourself to the test as eagerly as you do others.
Leadership is what each of us does, or not, rather than imagining it is what others are doing or should be doing.
Everyone has a responsibility to exercise leadership—it is one of our human traits, and that if outsourced or ignored, is akin to forfeiting life itself.
Yes, cast the light on husband, wife, partner, parent, boss, captain, coach, principal, CEO and president, but how do you show up in your leadership moments?
Being self-aware implies we always start by looking in the mirror.
I offer you a set of five probing audit questions to pose in any instance of leadership or claimed leadership—preferably ex-ante (before the event) for yourself (and afterwards too), and ex post facto (after the event) for others:
- Was the nature of your / their intention productive, inclusive and aimed at change for the better?
- Did you/they apply a philosophy, principles and behaviours that are consistent with your / their intention?
- Did you / their behaviours reflect you/they were self-aware, courageous, hopeful, principled, purposeful, questioning, strategic and thoughtful?
- Is it obvious that you/they applied their minds (rationale), made logical choices and worked towards productive outcomes?
- Did you/they achieve outcomes (results) that created benefits beyond yourself/themselves, immediate stakeholders and in the longer term?
Try out these questions on your own responses to past leadership moments, and of course on anyone else you choose.*
There are so many obvious candidates that we can subject to the audit questions (if you are unfamiliar with some of these, ask your search engine for a profile…):
- Presidents and prime ministers: Biden, Haniyeh, Jakobsdóttir, Netanyahu, Putin, Ramaphosa, Xi, Zelenskyy…
- In South Africa, there are current sports people who have held the limelight: Erasmus and Kolisi (rugby).
- In every country there are CEOs and business executives – take your pick.
- What about so-called celebrities?
- How about the last person you encountered at a check-out counter in the supermarket, your Uber driver, or the driver of the car that ran the traffic light in front of you?
And always, you are your primary candidate. How do you fare?
*If you do not know or cannot recall what a leadership moment is, refer to Leadership Weekly Note #2923 (17 July 2023): Influential Leadership Moments
A beneficial feature of testing and assessing leadership engagements is that we learn from our and other’s performance. Our vigilance at testing (before) and assessing (afterwards) is also part of how we close the leadership gap—our stock in trade!
So, as you head into the new week—keep the test-n-audit prism handy. It will help you to define your leadership engagements and assess your successes.
Influential Leadership Activists close the leadership gap.
Regards,
Colin @ Karoo
We Close the Leadership Gap!
Leadership Weekly Note: 1523. 100423
e: colind@karoo.world
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