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In my work with people in all types of organizations, one of the topics of greatest interest is leadership. We all know that we need to demonstrate leadership, but the concept of leadership and its application are complex and elusive.
In the previous four issues of Adages from Ascent we discussed leadership, what it is and how to apply it. Here is a story to help illustrate one of the important characteristics of a successful leader .
Lead by Example Sheep have often been the subject of metaphorical messages. They have been the subject of everything from sleep remedies to symbols of the once-lost-and-now-found. After a couple of years as a sheep owner, I have come to know why. We found ourselves with about a quarter acre of unused pasture, and so bought a sheep and named her Goodness. After a short while, it became clear that the pasture was not sufficient feed for even one sheep. Ironically, while we were paying for hay to supplement her diet, we were paying for gasoline to mow the lawn but a few inches from her pasture, so we constructed a portable wire fence that allowed us to let her feed on small portions of our lawn at a time. One day I looked out to see Goodness loose well beyond the portable fence. I panicked and called for my wife to help me capture the sheep. Not hearing a response immediately, I ran to chase the sheep back into the pasture. Getting a sheep to pass through a five-foot gate in a fence a couple of hundred feet long is like pushing a string. I could not get her to go where I wanted her to go. All the while I continued to call for my wife. Soon she appeared around the corner of the house, and after telling me to halt my efforts, she simply ran past the sheep and headed for the gate leading to the pasture. Seeing this, Goodness bolted after her. Shortly after my wife had cleared the gate, so did the sheep, and the gate closed quickly behind her. Goodness was soon treated to an extra portion of hay. I was in shock. My hard work resulted in frustration. My wife’s simple efforts were completely successful, to the satisfaction of all involved. I absorbed the lesson for some time. What are we to learn from this experience? This experience shouted of how we react to different leadership styles. Yes, many people have been very successful “leading” others with a technique similar to what I employed in my vain efforts to get Goodness back in the pasture. Show them all the options for where you do NOT want them to go, tell them what you will do if they take one of those options, and out of fear they will go where you want them to go. Maybe. But this tactic is a lot of work, and not much fun for the leader or those we want to lead. It is far more effective to know where we want the flock to go (have a vision), run in that direction (sharing the vision), and equip and inspire the flock to follow (my wife had done this before, so Goodness was inspired to follow because she knew fresh hay would be her reward). In the previous three Adages from Ascent, we discussed what leadership was; now it is time to lead. When you do, do so by leading by example. Some tips for doing so: · Make sure you are willing to do what it takes to facilitate attaining the vision. This includes how you equip and support your team, but it also includes your willingness to do whatever it is you ask your team to do.· Be visible. Don’t lead from the corner office. Let your team see you, regularly.· Participate. Don’t just share your vision, provide some resources, then step aside. To the degree possible, demonstrate in tangible ways that you are willing to be a part of attaining this vision in practical, visible ways. Work alongside your team.· Recognize the need for regular feedback. Let people know how they are doing, individually and collectively.· Offer perpetual encouragement. Tell your team that you are confident in them, that they are doing a good job, that the vision is indeed attainable.· Constantly illustrate and define the vision. Give examples of what it will look like in terms relevant to the audience. Explain why current actions will support achieving it.
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