Learning to Lead

I recently came across an article that listed five qualities that are statistically common among leaders.

1. Character - this is the most important characteristic that holds up the "leadership tent"
2. Interpersonal skills
3. Leading change
4. Focus on results
5. Personal capability

I began to wonder, how useful is this information? If I identify these qualities in a person, can I assume that this person will be a good leader? If I focus on developing these qualities in myself, will I be a better leader? Let's have a closer look:

1. Character (this is the most important characteristic that holds up the "leadership tent")

Nope. Thomas Jefferson was – and was widely know to be – quite the duplicitous character. If by "Character" we mean an alignment between one’s convictions and one’s actions, Mr. Jefferson would probably not qualify. And yet he was, in many ways, a great leader.

Possession of an admirable character can (and often does) aid in one’s ability to lead by attracting the goodwill of workers. But will the pursuit of character make one a better leader? Or will recognition of character in another qualify that person as a leader? No. Unfortunately, the fact that most leaders that we admire are generally thought to have good character just isn’t very useful in making new leaders.

2. Interpersonal skills

The ability to communicate is vital, but again not sufficient. Will developing my interpersonal skills necessarily make me a better leader? Maybe. Will identifying someone with extraordinary interpersonal skills qualify that person as a leader? Nope.

3. Leading change

Well, "Leading" at least, but "Change" is pretty vague. But how does one lead? Does promoting change make me a leader? Or just a heckler?

4. Focus on results

Of the five qualities listed here, I believe this one comes closest to giving an aspiring leader something to work with. But it still falls short. What, exactly, is a leader’s necessary role regarding results? More to the point, in what way do I need to "Focus on Results" in order to become a more effective leader?

5. Personal capability

See "Character". Industry by itself does not a leader make.

One way to describe the job of a leader might be this (rather clinical) definition: Leading is the act of identifying a possible (but not inevitable) future, and enlisting others to bring that future into being.

If you do that, you are leading. If you don’t do that, you are not leading. And there are MANY ways to skin THAT cat.

This is a point that is all too often missed – what is a leader’s job? How do you know if you’re doing it well or poorly? How do you improve? Like golf, it’s a simple game, but endlessly complex in the forms, styles, and approaches one can employ successfully, and even more fraught with blind alleys and pitfalls. But at the end of the day, its all about fulfilling an extraordinarily simple objective.