Philoscifi

There are several truths about so-called “great leaders” that people don’t think about much, but knowing them will make you a better leader or save you a few headaches.

Paradox – they simultaneously attract and alienate talent

Great leaders are often strong, self-assured people with a vision for the future. Talented people long to use their talents in a meaningful way. They are instantly attracted to leaders with similar visions, and they’ll even do crazy things like work for free, just to associate with these leaders. The honeymoon might be sweet, but alas, all good things must come to an end. Things may fall apart because:

1. Leader micromanages too much, and talent feels stifled
2. Leader takes the talent for granted or unconsciously takes credit for the talent’s accomplishments
3. Leader unconsciously ignores the talent’s suggestions and ideas
4. Leader becomes resentful or fearful of the talent and consciously marginalizes him

If the talent is smart, he will jump ship before he goes down Titanic-style. Rarely will the leader change because it defies his nature. If you are the leader, stop and examine your actions. Perhaps it’s not too late to salvageable your relationships with your most talented staff. No leader becomes great solely from his efforts; you need a great supporting cast.

An organization is only as good as its backbone

In my opinion, there is far too much emphasis on how a great leader can transform or take an organization to new heights. Yes, a great leader is very important, but he or she can only take an organization as far as the backbone will allow.

Think about it in terms of the human body. The leader is the brain; HR is the renal system; and IT is the immune system. What happens when the kidneys don’t function properly? Ask any doctor – without dialysis, the person will die fairly quickly from the accumulated waste/toxins in the body. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working in organization where the HR system was such that bad employees could never be removed and good people rarely survive the grueling hiring process. My personal favorite though is the IT department that sucks in all the technological resources in the name of “centralization” and then becomes catatonic. With no immune system, you’ll die of something as ridiculous as a paper cut.

Only an absolute monarch can rapidly turn around such wondrous models of inefficiency, yet how many leaders are trusted with such power? More often, leaders must either motivate the existing employees to achieve more or replace them with people who share his vision. The bigger or more bureaucratic the organization, the slower this process is.

Being a great leader means choosing the right opportunities and making the most of them. Phil Jackson might be a godly NBA coach, but it helps to have MJ, Pippen, Kobe, and Shaq on your teams. Leaders are all impatient to a certain extent because dissatisfaction with the status quo is what drives improvement. But if you don’t have the necessary patience for a task, say no and save yourself a face plant.

Inability to let go

Leaders are deemed “great” based on their successes, but to me, the true measure of greatness is knowing when to let go. George Washington could have been king or at least “president for life” – where do you think the US would be today if he had accepted? What makes him the greatest president is that he stepped back. For more on this idea, read Jacob Needleman’s The American Soul: Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders.

You see this problem all the time, particularly with founders. They micromanage and will not admit that someone else might be more capable of running the company or more in tune with the market or staff. Competitive fire, pride, and even stubbornness, qualities that helped them achieve greatness, are now their downfalls. Yes, it might be your baby, but babies all grow up and have different needs.

Thoughts? Let me hear them below!

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