Would You Know a Leader If You Saw One?

Would You Know a Leader If You Saw One?
By Tom Stevens

Question... What is a leader?
And how is a leader different from a manager?

Ask these questions to any group of executives who have been employed long enough to attend a couple seminars and someone will inevitably pipe up with "a manager does a thing right, a leader does the right thing." Then almost everyone else will nod their head knowingly.

Not me. I believe it suggests a misguided view of leadership, and there is a more useful perspective.

"A leader does the right thing" is a poor test of leadership. It accurately tells us what we want and hope of leaders - that they lead down the right path. But what is the right path? What about situations where we are facing the unknown, exploring new territory, seeking untried new opportunities, or any other circumstance where responsive actions are not pre-established? Choices still have to be made, and we go forward based on the best we know and faith in our ability to handle what comes up. Isn't this what leadership is all about?

Our "does the right thing" definition will identify a leader only after the fact, once history has shown that their choices were right and led to success. Limiting ourselves to this definition would mean you could never observe leadership as it happens but only in hindsight, a retrospective view that offers little guidance for someone seeking what to do as a leader NOW.

A more useful definition of leaders and leadership would give us a prospective view, and provide guidance about what to do now and in the future. The most useful definition of leadership I know is this: leadership is the act of gaining willing followers for a course of action when the way is uncertain or not yet defined.

Our definition of leadership does three things - tells us how to observe leadership in action, helps us distinguish leadership from other processes, and informs us of what one needs to do to become a leader. That's what I call useful.

Before exploring usefulness further let's note what this definition of leadership does not include:

Leadership does not require being the head or in charge - i.e., director, team leader, captain, boss, or "Chief of…" anything. Anyone can initiate an act of leadership.

Leadership does not require any special qualities, such as integrity, wisdom, perseverance, compassion, or common sense. I happen to highly value these, and they may indeed contribute to gaining followers, but understand there is no particular quality singular to leadership.

Leadership is not defined by outcomes, nor is it synonymous with success. The way chosen may not be the right way. No wonder leadership is associated with risk.

Let's look at the usefulness of this definition of leadership more closely, how we observe, distinguish, and find guidance for leadership.

Leadership can be observed because it is an act, one that starts when "followers" adopt the course initiated by the leader, and ends when they stop doing so. Leadership is only present in the behavioral interaction between leader and follower. We can watch it in real time, even videotape it if we wanted.

Further, this definition distinguishes leadership from other processes (like management or professionalism) when we determine that three important components are present:

willing action of followers in response to the leader,

the course of action by the leader and followers, and

a context where the choices for a course of action are uncertain or not previously established.

These components must all be present for real leadership to exist, which becomes evident when we consider what happens if any are missing.

If there are no followers, all that we are left with is an individual response. It may be a critical or important or world changing act, but no leadership is involved if the act involves only one person. Above all else, leadership is about gaining followers.

If there is no course of action you might have a shared concern but no leading or following and therefore no leadership.

If there are followers who are influenced to move or change in a particular direction, but only within the context of an established set of procedures and relationships, then what we have is an act of management, not leadership.

I define management as the act of aligning resources by established means for established goals. Management shares with leadership the fact that there are followers and a course of action. Management is distinguished from leadership when the followers are simply compliant because of established relationships or the courses of action from which to choose are predetermined. A parade does not need a leader, but can usually benefit from a good manager. Getting a town to organize a parade for the first time or redirect it along a different route in an emergency, however, requires an act of leadership.

Finally, our definition implies two strategies about how to improve and develop leadership. One way is anything that enhances the ability to discern a path or a course of action - think vision, knowledge, creativity, having an eye for opportunities. The other way is anything that helps one to gain willing followers - think influence, passion, interpersonal skills, even getting people to laugh. Far too many "leadership" programs simply focus on a specific set of qualities, with little on the actual practice of leadership. Formal activities such as seminars, training programs, and coaching can only rightly be called "leadership development" when the learner can apply acquired knowledge and skills to discerning a course of action or gaining willing followers.

Leadership and management are both too important to be sloppy in our understanding of them. It may not be as elegant a sound bite, but instead of "a manager does a thing right, a leader does the right thing," a more useful saying would go as follows: Managers influence others to do known things right. Leaders gain followers for their choices when the right thing is still unknown.

Tom Stevens is a consultant, coach, facilitator, and speaker - and is President of Esquare Leadership LLC. Tom can be contacted at (919) 245-1026, or tis@esquareleadership.com. Visit www.esquareleadership.com for reprint information or an electronic version of this and other articles of interest to leaders, managers, and professionals. Reprinted with permission. ©2004.

For more, click here for a free subscription to Course and Direction.