the three demands of leadership

THE three DEMANDS OF LEADERSHIP

        An earnest young man once approached me during a Q & A session, and

asked, “What is the ONE THING I need to know to be a great leader?” as if he

was searching for the hidden key to unlock the universe. Amused by the

simplicity of his question, my answer was equally simple: “To be a great

leader, there’s more than ONE THING you need to know about leadership.”

        Leadership is not easily reduced into a formula. However, I

understand the urge to try to wrap our hands around effective leadership by

breaking it down into a manageable set of principles. In my research and

study of leadership, one of the better simplifications I have found was

developed by the team at the Gallup Organization. After conducting extensive

research on leaders across a broad spectrum of careers, Gallup boiled down

leadership into seven essential qualities. Their in-depth study culminated

in the article, The Seven Demands of Leadership, appearing in the Gallup

Management Journal.

        In this article, I’d like to review the findings one through three

of Gallup’s research, and supplement them with additional thoughts.

        The Seven Demands of Leadership

        1. Visioning.

        “Successful leaders are able to look out, across, and beyond the

organization. They have a talent for seeing and creating the future. They

use highly visual language that paints pictures of the future for those they

lead. As a result, they seem to attain bigger goals because they create a

collective mindset that propels people to help them make their vision a

reality.” ~ Gallup Management Journal

        The foundation of a vision is reality. Develop a reality statement

before creating a vision statement. The reality statement should explain the

present situation, the process of pursuing the vision, and the price which

must be paid to realize the vision. Be careful not to diminish the vision—it

should be bold and daring—but refine the vision until it is realistic and

achievable. A lack of realism in the vision today costs credibility

tomorrow.

        Leaders take the vision from “me” to “we.” They enlist others in a

common vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes, and dreams.

Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the

leader has a big dream and a bad team.

        When we lose sight of the distinction between our plans and the

vision we are pursuing, we set ourselves up for a large dose of

discouragement. A vision is a picture of what could and should be. A plan is

a guess as to the best way to accomplish the vision. Failed plans should not

be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don’t change, they are only

refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed.

Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan.

        2. Maximizing values.

        “By highlighting what is important about work, great leaders make

clear what is important to them in life. They clarify how their own values –

particularly a concern for people – relate to their work. They also

communicate a sense of personal integrity and a commitment to act based on

their values.” ~ Gallup Management Journal

        A principle is an external truth that is as reliable as a physical

law such as the law of gravity. When Solomon said, “A gentle answer turns

away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” he stated a principle that is

both universal and timeless. Principles are important because they function

like a map allowing us to make wise decisions. If we ignore them or deny

their reliability, we become like travelers refusing to use a road map

because we dispute its accuracy.

        While we may acknowledge the reliability of many principles, we only

internalize those we deem important. When that happens, the principle has

become a value that serves as the internal map we use to direct our lives. A

value, then, is an internalized principle that guides our decisions.

        3. Challenging Experiences.

        “By galvanizing people with a clear vision and strong values, the

leaders we studied were able to challenge their teams to achieve significant

work goals. In fact, those leaders themselves had been assigned significant

challenging experiences at key points in their careers while being given the

freedom to determine how they would achieve outcomes.” ~ Gallup Management

Journal

        When others run from the challenge before them, leaders rise to the

challenge before them. English historian Arnold Toynbee has said,

“Appropriate response to challenge is the basis for the rise of any society

or organization.” A leader’s value to others is to lead them through

difficult challenges by providing hope and bestowing courage.