My Top Three Leadership Traits In Today’s Economy

Several weeks ago bloggers Jamie Notter and Lara McCulloch-Carter both started leadership memes. Jamie posted Becoming A Leader: My Top Three and tagged eight other bloggers to write their top three things necessary for leadership. Twelve bloggers responded. Simultaneously, Lara McCulloh-Carter challenged meeting and event professionals in her #eventprofs tweet chat to write on their blogs, What Does Leadership Mean In This Economy and three other bloggers accepted her challenge. Although I’m late to the Leadership Blog Party, I wanted to add my thoughts to both challenges. So here are “My Top Three Leadership Traits In Today’s Economy.”

Like you, I am part of many systems: nation, state, city, neighborhoods, economy, church and family, to name a few.

In every system, some days are better than others. No system is flawless. Every now and then, a “perfect storm” illuminates systemic failures at multiple levels, and one wonders, “How did things get this bad?” Hurricane Katrina was such a storm. The current economy and failure of financial institutions is such a storm. So were early days of America’s settling in the mid-west and west, when people were lost, thirsty, hungry and scared due to the great Dust Bowl.

When systems fail, it isn’t usually for lack of gear, meetings, bosses or budget.

Systems fail for lack of leadership.

For any system to succeed, someone must undertake the lonely and self-sacrificial work of stepping beyond public opinion, daily management and comforts of office, and do these three things.

First, “Go on ahead of the people.”
While people worry about today’s crisis, leaders think about tomorrow’s. Yes, someone needs to manage today’s calamity and many servants are needed to heal the wounded. But leaders need to be asking, “What next?” If Americans have a long dry dusty land to cross, how will they manage? If the cost of gasoline increases too high, how do we rethink our common life? If people can’t get loans for housing, where will they sleep?

That is lonely work. It draws little applause. Leaders who anticipate a different tomorrow can expect to suffer at the hands of the change-resistant and accountability-resistant. People will applaud a strong-willed person who stands tall amid the storm but they will turn against the leader who prepares for the next storm.

Second, “Take some of the elders with you.”
Wise leaders don’t go forth alone. For leaders are as susceptible to delusion and grandiosity as anyone. Leaders need colleagues who will push back, test ideas and share wisdom. They don’t want “yes men and women” with them. They want divergent opinions that offer wise council.

Third, “Go.”
Leadership requires movement. Not pointless motion, not rushing to the front to demonstrate a take-charge attitude. Leaders start forward at a time when others want to stand still. Leaders venture beyond comforts and certainties. Leaders look ahead, not behind, and try to keep pace with a dynamic world and changing reality.

Systems resent leaders and rarely express gratitude. Those who strive for approval won’t be effective leaders. Leaders suffer. That’s why most systems have managers, not leaders.