I have been thinking about the concept of leadership lately. It has come up in all levels of my life and interaction with others in the last month or so. A quote I saw from former President Bush made me realize what has been nagging me about leadership. It made it clear that the leader can not be the center of attention if a group, company or country is to survive and thrive.
He stated--
"A leader's got to understand the culture that you develop is not about you," Bush said at Saddleback Church in Southern California. "Organizations fail too often when the leader becomes the center of the whole organization. Your church succeeds because you recognize you're serving something greater than yourself."
For me this is the clear difference between Presidents of the past and our current leadership. When I listen to our President speak today, so often it is about “I” or “me” or “my”. Leaders are not above the group they lead, they are a part of the group they lead. There is nothing bigger than President Obama or a purpose more important than him in all of his speeches and actions.
It is the cult of personality—the separation of a leader from those he/she leads that creates failure. It is the lack of clearly articulated goals that all can buy into or reject that makes for the success of the team the leader leads. In the case of President Obama, he has failed to articulate goals for his team. This is not to say there are not goals, but if you disrespect the intelligence and independence of those you lead, it becomes very hard to have transparent, apparent goals. When the goals one pursues are in direct conflict with the goals of those on the team which you lead, the leader is forced to hope that personality is enough. Sort of like the magician, keeping your eye on the left hand so you won’t notice the right hand.
I once attended a speech by the first female admiral. She stated that you manage paper [information] and lead people. She also pointed out that you share credit for success, but take responsibility for failures alone, as a leader.
From President Obama to his cabinet to our elected officials, they seem to have this formula backwards. They take credit alone for successes and heap failures on everyone else from the voters (or our ignorance for not accepting their programs) to past administrations to the world just not recognizing their value.
True leadership involves accountability and grace.
