leadingtoday.org
Leadership Tip of
the Month
December 2005
Copyright 2005 ă weLEAD, Inc.
The Heroic Leader
Lying deep within the cultural history of
mankind is the belief in, and a desire for a heroic leader! Our ancient ancestors
left a rural society as nomadic hunters and formed city-states around 3500 B.C.
Within these small villages a single leader usually emerged to become a ruler.
Sometimes for the good of the group, but often for the bad, this leader
struggled to maintain power mostly with the intent of making “rulership” a
family-owned business. As we enter the 21st century, things have
changed very little in our diverse and technological world. Even in democratic nations
our culture still fosters a mythology of the heroic leader. In the United
States, a very popular television program now hosts prominent corporate leaders
supposedly mentoring their younger interns. The climax of the show is when the
interns are told by the heroic business
leader, “you’re fired”!
Heroic leaders are viewed as almost romantic characters who
single-handedly determine the fate of their organizations. Our culture is a
reflection of this history from the secret agent who saves the world from
nuclear destruction, to the lone cowboy who saves the town from evil outlaws.
During times of war, even democratic
nations consolidate more power into the hands of a single individual in
a belief that the heroic leader will save the day.
The truth is that people usually exaggerate the importance of
leaders to explain events in a way that fits with their assumptions or fears.
It is difficult to explain random events such as uncontrollable forces of
nature, supernatural phenomenon or unexpected catastrophe. Looking to a single
heroic leader makes it easier to explain positive and negative events by
attributing them to individual actions of a person. It helps us make sense out
of events that are otherwise incomprehensible. This is a mistake because all leaders
are human and have personal flaws. Idolizing any heroic leader will eventually
lead to disappointment as their humanity and weaknesses become obvious.
For example, there is no doubt that Winston Churchill was a strong
courageous leader for the British nation during the horrors of the 2nd
World War. He is often looked upon as a heroic leader. Yet, anyone who studies
history can easily point to a few poor decisions he made that needlessly cost
the lives of thousands of solders and innocent civilians. He was indeed the
right man for the right time. But in reality
the war was won because of the sacrifice and dedication of many and not
because of a single heroic leader. Perhaps Britain would not have won the war
without Churchill, but it certainly would
not have won the war without the sacrifice of her young pilots flying their Spitfires above the skies of Britain!
The leadership tip for
this month is to have a balanced
perspective about heroic leaders. The mythology of a heroic leader is that they
are expected to be wiser and more courageous than any one else. They are
supposed to know everything going on around them. This is simply unrealistic
and it is impossible for anyone to live up to this standard. It is true that
some individuals have the skills and personality to galvanize everyone around
them to a common cause. But leadership is always a shared quality, even though most of the unsung heroes are never
recognized. In most cases, the greatest sacrifice is not made by the heroic
leader… but by others. Be careful not to exaggerate the strengths or weaknesses
of a heroic leader. Appreciate the contribution and skills they used to achieve
their mission. But, don’t make the mistake of setting them on a pedestal as an
idol of a certain cause. Don’t diminish the significant contribution of their
colleagues and followers. As John Maxwell has written, “If you think you are
leading and no one is following, you are only taking a walk.”
In the last two hundred years our governments, workplaces and
families have changed dramatically. We can argue about whether these changes
are good or bad. But, one thing is for sure! The mythology of the single heroic
leader is ending. Yes, it is true that during times of war or sudden
catastrophe we may always need a courageous single
leader to guide us during the storm. But more than ever, leadership must be shared for our institutions to thrive
and fulfill their purpose. We all must accept our responsibility to lead where
and when we can. As followers we must also have leadership skills and lead upward when the person over us
lacks certain talents that we have. The idea that leadership is exclusively from the “top… down” is
obsolete. Leadership must now permeate
an organization at every level for it to reach its potential, and everyone must
be recognized for their contribution.
For weLEAD, this is Greg
Thomas reminding you that Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “In times of peace
the people look most to their representatives; but in war, to the executive
solely”.
On
the weLEAD Website you will
find over 70 other free helpful leadership tips. They are all available in a
text version or as an MP3 audio!