For:StrategicFinance

AmIaLeader?
ByRobertGunn AmIaleader?Innightscocoonwhatleaderhasnotaskedhimselfthis question? Leadingisanelusive,mysteriousact.Itcomprisesmomentsoftruthwhen theleaderasksotherstoentwinetheirfatesforuncertain,unknowable destinies.Iamnotspeakingabouttheintellectualprocessofleading those familiargoingsonweknowsowell,suchasmakingdecisions,planning (sometimesplotting)alternatives,ortakingactions.No,thatisthedaytime work.Itusesallthepowerofyourintellectandalltheknowhowofyour experience.Goodleaderssystematicallyusethiskindofintelligence,giveit structure,andrequestotherstofollowitsdictates. Butnofirstrateleadercaneverelicitgreatperformancebyjustinitiatingor followingestablishedcustoms.Marketsdontstandstill.Whatworkedso wellyesterday,bytomorrowsdaybreakisalreadyshowingsignsof obsolescence.Greatcompaniesevolve,continuouslyandquicklythatis theircommondenominator.Butthisdoesntjusthappenittakestalented leaderswhoprovoketheevolution. Aleadermustnotbeafraidofpointingtotheunknownandaskingothersto followtothatplacewheretherearemorequestionsthananswers,where thepathisuntrodden,andwhereotherssay,thatsneverbeendonebefore. Somuchofaleadersworkiswiththeunfamiliar,grapplingwiththose intangible,uniquelyhumanvariablesthatsustainaccomplishmentthrough fairwindsandfoul.Perhapsnoleaders,iftheyaretruthfulwiththemselves, caneversaywithcertainty,Yes!Iamaleader.Butsomehavethe humilitytorealizethatjustbyaskingthisquestion,theyatleasthavea chancetoexperiencemomentsofaccomplishedleadership.

Itistheuncommonleaderwhoembracestheintangiblesbylearningtomake themhisorherstockintrade.Iamspeakingoffourintangiblesinparticular tone,time,trust,andtransfer,notthatthesearetheexhaustive,complete list.Buttheyarerelevantbecausetheypointtowardsourinnercapacityto direct,create,andrespondtolifebyusingcapabilitiesweallpossess insight,commonsense,andwisdom.Thesearetheverysamequalitiesthat enableindividualstochange,teamstobreakfreshground,andorganizations tosustainperformanceingoodtimesandbad. Tone GracefulleaderstendtopayattentiontowhatIcalltonethatpitchof languageorbodymovementthatexpressesmeaningsoeloquently.They payattentiontomoodandbodylanguagebyasking,HowamIfeeling? andHowareothersfeeling?Whentheirownmoodispositiveand lightheartedorwhentheyseeothersexpresshumor,wellbeing,orwarmth, theyknowthatagreatdealcanbeaccomplishedeasilyandquickly. Conversely,iftheywakeuponthewrongsideofbedorifameetingturns dispirited,theyknownottopushthemselves.Peoplesimplydontdotheir bestworkwhentheyareinalowmoodandwhileweallmaytakethis statementforgranted,leaderssometimesforgettoactonit. Itisdistressingtoseealeader,attheendofwhatmayhavebeena wonderfullyproductivemeeting,suddenlyaskacontroversialquestionthat throwseveryoneforaloop.Allthegoodworkismomentarilylostasrisk, fear,anger,orworrycausepeopletobecomedefensiveandsecondguess themselves.Itisasifgoodfeelingssomehowthreatenaccomplishment. Changingthetoneissimpleforleaderswhorecognizethatallmoodsresult fromthinkingexpressingitself asfeeling.Forsuchleaders,lowmoodsare nothingmorethananxious,worried,distracted,orfearfulthoughts.They knowthattheycanlifttheirownmoodbylookingtowardsthepositive humor,love,kindness,compassion,gratitude,service,orforgivenessand knowingthatthesekindsofthoughtswillautomaticallylightentheirfeelings andelevatethespiritsandthinkingofthosearoundthem. Feelingsarecontagious.Anengaged,warmheartedfeelingmayyield infectiousenthusiasmandcreativeanswerstoproblems.Skilledleaders looktofeelingsasthefirstorderofanybusiness.Warm,positivefeelings

leadtogreatandlastingoutcomes.Anxious,selfimportantthoughtsleadto superficialgains,dearlypurchased. Time Momentsofinspiredactioncometoaccomplishedleadersseemingly withoutconsciousdirectiontheymerelyseewhatneedstobedoneand thenjustdoit.Whenaskedhowthishappens,theyoftentalkabouttime slowingdown,ofseeingthingswithcompleteclarity.Sometimesthey describeasenseofobservingthemselves,ofbeingsomewhatremovedfrom theiractions,asiftheywerebothactorandobserver. Theyareabletogainclarityandperspective,notnecessarilybyhavingmore knowledgeorexperiencebutratherbyusingthatspecialwayofperceiving thatcomesfrombeingabletoseethefutureaspartofthepresent.In momentslikethese,theirsenseofnowisnotlinear.Inthesamewaythat astronomerscanseebackwardsintimeusingtelescopes,thesepeoplereelin thefuture,notbycountingtheminutesormeasuringthemonthsbutby actingasifthefuturewerehereinthepresentmoment. Theyknowthat,likeformlessness,timelessnessisastateofconsciousness thattranscendsthemeasurementof time.Theirfaithinthishigherformof consciousnessenablesthemtotrustthatinsightandintuitionwillbe accessibletothemwhentheymostneedit,toactasifthefuturewerehere rightnow,andtoresistrushingintoactionuntilthepurposeof thatactionis obvious. Forexample,ourcompanyneedstoexpandintheAsia/Pacificregion.We arestartingfromnothing.Bythinkingasifwearealreadyinbusiness there,peopleinthecompanyaretakingallkindsofactions,bothlargeand small,thatliterallybringthevisiontolifenow.Thereisnograndplan, scheme,masterschedule,orlistoftodoswearemerelyallowing ourselvestoseetheobviousrelyingonourinsightandcommonsenseand thenactingonit. Thinkofthepowerwecouldunleashifwecouldsystematicallyrelease ourselvesfromtheperceptualshacklesweplaceonourassumptionsabout time.Ifweseetimeasinfinite,asittrulyis,thenwefreeourselvesfrom thoseobsessivedesirestopredictthefutureorthoseanxiouspreparationsfor

theunforeseeable.Asleaderswethenmakedecisionsfromahigherstateof awarenessaboutthenatureoflifeandthetruthofourexistence. Trust Anyonewhohaseverbeenonarealteam,onewherethememberstranscend theiregosandworktowardsacommongoal,knowsthattrustisattheheart ofallgreatteams.IfthemottoonthedollarisInGodweTrust,thenthe mottoofeveryteammustbeInothersITrust.Thatusuallytakesapretty bigleapoffaith,atleastatfirst. WehavebeensoconditionedtolookoutforNumberOnethatgivingof onestimeandtalentstoothersisassumedtobeasuckersgame.Thisis ironicbecauseanyonewhohaseverbeenonateamthatreachesitsdreams willsaythattheywerewillingtogivetheirbesteffortwithoutregardfor personalrecognitionorreward.Itisironicbecauseteamscanaccomplishso much,soeasilythatintheendtherewardsalmostinevitablycome. Skillfulleadersbuildteamsontrust,withadashofrespect.Oneofthemost importantwaystheydothisisbyengenderingfeelingsofconnectedness byhavingfaithinothersandbyactinginsuchawaythatteammatescanrely ontheleaderspromises. Feelingsofgoodwillconnectpeopleandestablishtherapportthatisso necessaryforlisteningandcommunication.Thiswarmthhelpsothersthink moreclearheadedlybecausetheyarenotwrappedupintheiregos, worryingabouthowtheylooktoothers,angrythatasuggestionwas rejected,ordistractedbecausetheyarebusyandoverscheduled. Deliveringonyourpromisessimplymeanssayingwhatyoumeananddoing whatyousay.Itsnothard.Thepayoffisbeingabletomaintainyoursense ofintegritywithyourteammates.Andtheconsequenceisthatmuchmore effortandattentionaredevotedtothetaskandmuchlesstogossiping, spying,orworrying. Leaderswhoinsistthattrustissomethingthatmustbeearnedorthatadose ofhealthycompetitionamongteammembersisagoodthinginnocently sabotageaccomplishmentandinterferewithtightgroupdynamics.Such leadersoftengeneratefeelingsofrivalryordiscouragementthatleadto behaviorsthatworkagainstcollectiveaccomplishment.

Butleaderswhofreelygivetrustreapthebenefitsthatcomefromtheteams collectiveintelligence.Suchfaithinteamworkprovidesthekindof certaintythatpowersteamaccomplishment. Transfer Ultimately,themeasureofaleaderssuccessistheextenttowhichothers growintheirowncapacitytolead.Helpingothersexpresstheirtalentsas managersrequiresashiftinmentalperception.Wemustreorientour thinkingfrombeingprimarilyconcernedaboutourowncontributions, failures,orrewardstobeingpredominantlyfocusedonthepersonalgrowth ofothers. Sinceaccountabilitycanneverbedelegated(thecaptaingoesdownwiththe ship),ittakesaleapoffaithtobelievethatothersnotonlyhavethecapacity tostepupbutalsohavethecommitmenttomakewhatevercontributionis required.Forthefullauthoritytoactmustaccompanydelegationof responsibility.Itisatthismomenttheleadersfateisinthehandsofhisor hersubordinatefortheultimateaccountabilityfortheoutcomealwaysstays attheleadersdesk. Thistakesaninnercertaintytoknowthatwhatisbeingdelegatedistheright thingtodo.Itismoreofafeelingthatcomesfromamomentsreflection lookingforthewisdomtoknow. Thisiswhereskillfulleadersdistinguishthemselvesfor,likeagoodparent, theyplacetheoutcomesquarelyontheirmanagersshoulderswhile communicatingthefeelingofbeingutterlyconfidentofhisorhersuccess. Ifyouarealeaderwhoisoverwhelmedandoverworked,thatisoftenaclue thatyoumaynotbedelegatingwiththeutterconvictionandauthoritythatis necessary. Effectivedelegationreleasesmoreconstructiveenergythananythingelsea leadercando.Thisissoobviousthatitneedsnoproof.Butitdoesrequire awillingnesstoacknowledgethatpossibilitiesexistbeyondourown knowledgeorexperience.Whenleadersthinkhopefulthoughts,theyrelease thecreativityandcontributionsofothers,whostepforwardwithactionsand decisionsthatoftensurpasstheleadersexpectations.

AnAnswer Emersonsaidthatlifesmostprofoundquestionsareneveranswered directly,fortruthcanneverbeproven,butonlyrevealedinaction.The questionAmIaleader?isoneofthosesomethingdiscoveredonlyby theprocessoflivingasifyouactuallyaretheleaderyouaspiretobe. Bydirectingmentalenergytowardsfeelingsofcalmness,tranquility, lightheartedness,humility,integrity,faith,hope,andservice,leadersareable toshapeanenvironmentwherethosetheyleadareabletosustain performance.Foritisthesekindsofthoughtsthatestablishthetoneso necessaryforpeakperformance,thetrustthatunderpinscollaboration,the reflectivetimetoperceivewhatistrulyneeded,andthetransferof responsibilitytogetthejobdone. Bykeepingthequestion,AmIaleader?inmind,perhapsyouwill discoverthesetruthsforyourselfthenexttimeyouawakeintheheartofa verydarknight.