Leadership in Vacuums

This is an article on embodying leadership, even in a perceived vacuum (as opposed to an article on Hoover, Oreck, and other leaders in vacuums).

There is a lot of bad news around today. At this writing we stand at the brink of war, with our nation’s leader clamoring for support toward that initiative. The stock market remains in an abyss, as the leaders of companies continue to be scrutinized and hammered for short sighted, even dishonest, behavior and communication. Our leaders’ attitudes toward our environment have taken giant steps backward recently, promulgating an attitude of short-term use, rather than long-term stewardship.

It’s challenging to imagine how we as individuals can make a difference in the wake of so much disheartening news. There is disappointment in the dearth of leadership apparent in government and business. It can be much easier to adopt an attitude of cynicism and resignation than one of optimism and action. Leadership in tough times demands far more creativity than in good times, when resources abound and progress is more readily seen.

Leaders see possibility where others see dead ends (Gandhi was a great example). They muster enthusiasm for causes in which the odds may not be in their favor, but where they see some possibility for triumph anyway. Leaders have the ability to ignite possibility in others, and to create momentum, sometimes from a standstill.

You may not agree with a leader such as George Bush’s values, but such leaders are out there putting their beliefs on the line and creating discourse around issues that matter. They make a difference. Whether you perceive the difference as good or bad, they are making a difference for being here. Leaders galvanize others into action; either action they were thinking about, or action they thought they’d never take.

What are you willing to do today, this week, and this year, to exercise leadership? What small, everyday stands do you take to create the possibility of good news, and to inspire momentum in yourself and others? Examples might include:

• Articulating what you stand for and why – your core values.
• Asking a disheartened co-worker how you can help, or noticing what they do well. Staying in touch with former co-workers who have lost their jobs, and offering encouragement, contacts or other support.
• In a company where hardly anyone says what they mean, you can.
• Finding instances of inspiration in effort, process and relationship, when the desired results aren’t presently possible. Look at results in a different way.
• Taking a leadership position in any organization, be it Girl Scouts, a trade organization, your
  company or an election committee. Being a force for positive change with the willingness to interact and have an impact on others.

There is much complaint about the quality of leaders we have today. Why is this? Is it possible that we subject our leaders to such brutal standards that very few have the stomach or skin thick enough for the game? We play “Monday Morning Quarterback” with our leaders all the time. We hold them up to unreal standards, examine their past lives with a cruel microscope few of us could withstand, and our measurement of “success” is often a moving target. How willing is each of us to be the one subjected to constant second-guessing and character rating? If we’re not willing, who is left? Those with a lust for power stronger than the desire for self-preservation?

Perhaps it’s time to re-examine how we treat and support our leaders, as well as our own willingness to exercise leadership. If leaders could spend less time defending themselves and more time creating discourse and enlisting ideas and support, we might think better of their efforts. We might find more quality individuals attracted to positions of leadership.
Leadership is tough business – while some measure of power does come with the territory, so does a host of work and responsibility. Maybe thanking those who serve in leadership roles, such as a manager at your company, or a coach of your kid’s soccer team, might encourage them to continue that responsibility, and to balance self-interest with that of the larger group. This obviously won’t incompetence or arrogance. But when we constantly question leaders’ motives and capabilities, what effect does that have on their desire and ability to perform exceptionally in the arena of possibility?

My request for each of you this month is simply this:

1. Be willing to be supportive of whatever leaders are in your world, conducting discourse in the context of assuming positive motives;
2. In whatever leadership roles you embody (and we all have several), ask yourself what the impact is you most want to have on your organization, and ask two people how they think you might best achieve that; and
3. Listen fully to at least three people in your life when they are in a place of discouragement, anger or cynicism. Ask them what they’d like to see happen, and how it might be possible.
4. Then just listen again.

I’d love to hear from you how it goes. Nature abhors a vacuum, so there will be leaders. The question is, who will they be?

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