We’ve talked a lot about elections this year, but with the US Presidential election only a few weeks away, the dramatic race for leadership made me think about leadership in today’s world. Do you remember Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, Kennedy and Obama? It feels like something has changed when it comes to our leaders, but I am not sure whether it is the leaders themselves, leadership in general, the world of politics, our expectations as citizens or perhaps just that the noise levels are of such a degree that leaders do not get as much airtime as they used to.
We all know that the quality of leadership can make all the difference, regardless of the situation. But who becomes leaders? Those who perform the best, those who have a natural skill to lead, or those who are visionary and have a charismatic way with people? When do we call someone a leader? When they are in a position of power, hold a title, or have a following? There is no single answer to these questions. Sometimes leadership is inherited and sometimes it is earned through performance, but neither guarantees quality leadership. When people naturally tend to follow you, you might have a natural leadership quality, but are you accountable enough to understand the responsibility of having such a following?
Good leaders must be able to inspire, motivate, and ensure action to reach goals. To do this, they require an impressive list of skills that I borrowed from techtarget.com.
- Strong, realistic visions
- Clear and effective communication
- Adaptability, flexibility, and creativity
- Honesty
- Patience
- Resiliency
- Emotional intelligence and empathy
- Integrity
- Collaboration
- Passion
- Fairness
- Cultural awareness
- Intelligence and expertise
- Strategic and visionary decision-making
- Persuade, motivate, empower and inspire
How much of leadership is determined by the expectation of followers? History shows us dominant figures who ruled countries, organisations, and companies, determining their course. Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander the Great, Henry VIII, Bill Gates, Julius Caesar, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Saddam Hussein and even Robespierre! I think it is safe to say, however, that the way in which some of these leaders asserted their powers and policies, would not have been embraced in today’s world. What do we expect from leaders today? While everyone might want honesty, reliability, and fairness, what we see as these qualities are quite different from one individual to the other. Some might be comfortable and secure with old-fashioned values and nationalism, but for others, such conservatism might be exclusive and difficult to relate to.
Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done – because he wants to do it.” There is some truth and some humour in that, but I think that there’s something much simpler that forms the basis of good leadership: motivation and connection. Whether the vision is to grow a company or to better the lives of citizens, a leader requires the ability to communicate and connect with others to share and inspire them toward the same vision. I think this is what sets one leader apart from the other. And that is also why leaders and leadership would change with time. While the fundamental expectations will always be there, perhaps what we envisage for ourselves in 2024, might be a little different from what the French population wished for in 1804 when Napoleon crowned himself emperor. More than the vision, however, in today’s world of human rights and equality, for a leader to really connect, qualities are not all about showing strength and resilience, but also respect, understanding, and inclusivity.
Does this imply mediocrity? Edward Snowden said on X: “The vector of development that the internet and society is traveling leads away from extraordinary people sharing unique beliefs, and toward a tyranny of mediocrity. It is a preference for “normal” so strong that it extinguishes excellence, a ruthless allegiance to the average.” What do we say about that? Do follow the thread, it makes for some interesting reading!
Do you know the children’s game “Follow the leader”? Participants have to copy the actions and words of the leader, often without consideration of whether these actions and words are suitable for themselves. Perhaps, regardless of whether one believes in leaders that are brave and strong, unique and excellent, or compassionate and inclusive, followers must know that power can be a corrupting force and regardless of intention and vision, leaders can’t just be followed blindly – they have to be picked carefully and we need to keep them accountable.