For Effective Change: Follow-the-Leader
When I was a young boy
growing up in a small farm town in western Pennsylvania, one of the games we
used to play was Follow-the-Leader. As
we took turns at the helm, each boy would find himself enthralled in an
exciting and adventurous journey through woods, old barns, and small
waterways. One never knew what was
around the bend. While playing both the
leader and the follower were fun, the leader role carried a deeper level of
anticipation. Climbing trees and scaling
bridges—while already enjoyable—was even more so knowing there were a handful
of others exciting tracing your steps slightly unsure of where they would end
up.
As an adult, the geography
may be different but the game remains the same.
Follow-the-Leader continues in business, sports, and non-profit
agencies. Fortunately, I’ve had the
opportunity to fill both roles again though the expectations inherent in leader
and follow are much more complex than they were when we were children. If leaders hope to be successful, they must
be clear about their vision, passionate about the journey, vigilant of the
leader-follower relationship, and lastly, they must produce results.
In regard to the challenges
facing today’s leaders, Brown (2011) said, “The globalization of markets, the
downsizing of workforces, the flattening of hierarchies, the reengineering of
work processes, and the spread of information technology are all part of a
revolution in the way we do business.
These changes are happening at the same time and fast.” In short, we need leaders. With all the challenges, changes, and
uncertainty of our times, it is the men and women with vision, passion, loyal followers,
and results that will rise to the top and lead the changes necessary for
success.
Change does not happen
accidentally; rather, it is initiated with a specific purpose and it requires
leadership to function properly. The
first trait of a successful leader in a change initiative is vision. In short, they must define reality. Leaders reach their goals by identifying,
shaping, and representing the shared ideas and values of their organization
(Gini & Green, 2013). As stated
earlier from the childhood game, leaders must know where they are going. As kids, we knew if a leader repeatedly
required us to stop, turn around, and go back, then it wouldn’t be long before
he was replaced. Furthermore, his
opportunities to lead became less and less.
Ronald Reagan once said, “To
grasp and hold a vision is the very essence of leadership.” Warren Bennis, one of our world’s foremost
leadership expert said, “All leaders have the capacity to create a compelling
vision, one that takes people to a new place.”
Bennis looked at scores of leaders, and determined that none of them
possess all of the characteristics of great leadership. But every good leader, he found, has vision (Cohn
& Moran, 2011). Before a leader
initiates a system-wide change, the leader helps the organization identify the
difference between where it is and where it would like to be, and then proceeds
to design and implement appropriate organizational development interventions
(Brown, 2011).
Ben Stein has made a career
acting and speaking with a passionate-less, monotone voice. Undeniably humorous and witty, it is the
antithesis of a passionate leader.
Though this example is extreme it hopes to make a point. When leading a system-wide change initiative,
leaders must be passionate about the prospect of a better future. Great leaders are able to tap into the power
of their deepest aspirations. Passionate
leaders demonstrate that they have put a lot of thought into their vision and
are able to speak convincingly about the way in which the organizational
mission and their personal passions are intertwined (Cohn & Moran, 2011).
If I may use the
Follow-the-Leader example yet again: kids follow because they are excited about
where the journey may lead them. The
leader is normally the one shouting with excitement, “Follow me!” and as they
climb over and under a myriad of obstacles their passion never wanes. The same holds true for adults. Leaders will require great effort and
sacrifice from followers and at times they will have to climb over, under, and
around some hurdles as they implement new and innovative change
strategies. If the leader doubts the way
or loses enthusiasm for the journey, the followers will follow suit and
eventually the change effort will stall.
Leaders demonstrate passion because they believe. When vision combines with passion, leaders
are born. However, as John Maxwell said
in Failing Forward, “He who thinks he
leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.” That leads me to my next leadership
characteristic: the importance of the leader-follower relationship.
Brown (2011) said, “The
implementation of a large-scale change program is almost impossible without the
investment of all levels and elements of the organization” (p. 90). He goes on to add that the collaborative
relationship between internal and external practitioners (or leaders and
followers) provides an integration of abilities, skills, and resources. It embodies such qualities as trust, respect,
confrontation, and collaboration. In
coaching the 2008 USA Olympic Basketball team to a gold medal, Coach Krzyzewski
said, “Leadership boils down to strong relationships. Before I can be an effective leader, I have
to know the players, they have to know me, and we have to know and trust each
other” (Cohn & Moran, 2011).
Fortunately, Coach K won the
gold medal. Four years earlier with many
of the same players, the USA team lost in Athens to Puerto Rico and a week
later lost again to Lithuania. If that
wasn’t bad enough, they finally lost to Argentina and settled for a bronze
medal finish. Players, coaches, and fans
were humiliated. The NBA was embarrassed
on the world’s stage. Leaders need
vision, passion, and a great relationship with their followers. However, at the end of the day, it all comes
down to results. Without success, as the
2004 Olympic Basketball team and the band of children following their leader
discovered, all the vision, passion, and camaraderie matters little.
The final trait that warps
around the other three and holds them together is success, results, and
positive transformations. As Gini &
Green (2013) said, “All forms of leadership are about transformation. Leadership is not about maintaining the
status quo; it is about initiating change in an organization” (p. 7). Change is always difficult. It requires strong leaders with deep
perseverance to continue moving forward when times are challenging. Leaders are defined by their results. If people and processes remain the same after
the leader moves on, it begs the question “Did the leader lead?” Effective leadership is not about making
speeches or being liked: leadership is defined by results, not by attributes”
(Gini & Green, 2013).
Leadership is not for the
faint-of-heart. It is difficult,
challenging, and can be exhaustively frustrating. However, no matter the toil, when a person
believes in a better way and has the desire to bring it to life, they suddenly
find themselves connected with others and generating collaborative
enthusiasm. Before long, there is a
movement, a change initiative that inspires hope for a better organization and
a better life. At the end of our days
our life is often measured by results and the question we all ask: “Did I make
a difference?” Passionate leaders with a
vision for a better tomorrow joining forces with other like-minded people can
count on producing long-lasting results.
Whether the change is organizational or personal, it’s the leader in all
of us that shouts, “Follow me!” as we journey toward a better tomorrow.
Steve
References:
Brown, D.R. (2011). Organization
development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Cohn, J., & Moran, J. (2011). Why are we bad at picking good leaders? San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
Gini, A., & Green, R.M. (2013). 10 virtues of outstanding leaders. Malden, MA: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Maxwell, J. (2000). Failing
forward. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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