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Leadership is the art of getting work done through other people.
- Daniel Goldman
Character determines credibility, and credibility forms the bedrock of leadership
- Fal Diabaté
Leadership is a timeless subject that remains perpetually relevant. Since the dawn of humanity, there has always been a necessity for leaders to establish order and drive progress. Countless books, articles, and blogs have been penned on the topic of leadership, spanning definitions, theories, styles, responsibilities, practical case studies, and biographies of renowned leaders. The ongoing attention to leadership is a testament to its crucial role in advancing the human experience on our planet.
However, there exists a crisis of leadership in various domains such as business, politics, religion, and government, stemming from the betrayal of trust by those people in positions of authority. In our culture, many individuals have been unjustly labeled as leaders solely based on their ranks and titles, resulting to less deserving individuals ascending to critical leadership roles. As Frances Hesselbein and Paul M. Cohen highlight in their book “Leader to Leader”, James Kouzes, then chairman of the Tom Peters Group Learning Systems, aptly states, Leadership is not a position; it’s a process. I could not agree more to that statement; leadership is a process for people to do well.
At the heart of leadership lies a person, an individual who profoundly influences the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of a significant number of people toward a common purpose. In this context, the purpose represents the raison d'être of the organization being led. An effective leader is, first and foremost, a person of unwavering character; someone who is capable, authentic, possessing immense credibility, and exercising sound judgment. Followers and individuals align with the leader before they do with the organization's culture, vision, or value statements. Trust and respect are leadership attributes that naturally inspire followership. Bill George eloquently articulates this in this book ‘True North’; he said: “'Just as a compass points toward a magnetic pole, your True North pulls you toward the purpose of your leadership. When you follow your internal compass, your leadership will be authentic, and people will naturally want to associate with you.”
The effective leader is mission or purpose-focused, values-based, and results-driven. A company exists for a mission and purpose, and job one for the effective leader is to preserve the mission and purpose of the organization. Notice that I did not mention revenue or profit first, because while financial indicators are important, they remain secondary to the mission and purpose of the company. The financial indicators are the results of the leader’s success in carrying out the mission of purpose of the organization.
That is typically achieved through five important activities: (1) Managing the organization’s purpose by aligning everyone in the same direction, (2) Fostering innovation by creating a culture that unleashes the full potential of every individual, (3) Committing to diversity by intentionally building an organization with diverse opinions, backgrounds, and personality types, (4) Identifying and solving critical problems that align with the company’s purpose, and (5) Leaving a legacy of growth and reproduction by creating impactful trails to be followed by posterity. As a leader, where are you on achieving these five activities?
There are many types of leadership, including transformational, transactional, servant, autocratic leaders, etc. During an executive leadership training at UCLA Anderson School of Business, I was impressed by Professor Robin Denise Johnson, who classified leadership styles into dance types. In her book "The Dance of Leadership," Professor Johnson metaphorically links the art and discipline of dance to those of leadership. Leadership is a relationship between followers and leaders, so is rhythmic dance, she said. She classified personal leadership styles into the following five basic dance rhythms developed by performing artist, dancer, and teacher Gabrielle Roth: (1) flowing, (2) staccato, (3) chaos, (4) lyrical, and (5) stillness. By listening to or moving to the rhythm that resonates with us, we determine our leadership type. Here is how Professor Johnson defines these five rhythms:
The flowing rhythm has a fluid, circular continuous motion like an undulating snake or a river moving toward its goal. Musically, it is like Argentinian tango. Metaphorically, flowing is about knowing your core self and moving from place to place - grounded in your values. Flowing-style leaders are careful to avoid blocking the flow (they stay out of the way), knowing the power required to stop movement is much greater than the power needed to channel it into desired directions. Examples of such leaders include Michael Jordan and Mother Teresa. Books on flowing leadership include ‘Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience’ by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, ‘The Magic of Conflict" by Thomas Crum, or ‘The Tao of Leadership’ by John Heider.
The chaos rhythm resonates with a person who is comfortable with ambiguity, and problems that seem (key word is seem) to be out of control. Musically, it’s like African drums dancing or Arabic taqsim. Chaos-style leaders know they don’t have full control, but on some deep level, they believe in people, in their purpose, and they have deep trust in the Universe (God, Divine Spirit, Divine principles). Examples of such leaders include Albert Einstein, Bayard Rustin, and Bill Clinton. Books for chaos-style leadership include ‘Leadership and the New Science’ by Margaret Wheatley, and ‘Thriving in Chaos’ by Tom Peters.
The stillness rhythm is essentially silence. The energy of stillness is focused on the inner dance where each movement rises from the ocean of being. Metaphorically, stillness is a deep understanding of in and out, the light and shadow, the head and the heart ; all opposites actually contained in unity. Stillness-style leaders know how to use silence, how to listen to both inner and outer voices, how to role model the behavior they want others to emulate. They are effective in situations that call for values or beliefs change. Examples of such leaders include Rosa Parks, Dalai Lama, Cesar Chavez. Books on stillness leadership include ‘The Tao of Personal Leadership’ by Diane Dreher and ‘Loving What Is’ by Byron Katie.
The lyrical rhythm is airy and can be associated with the elegance of ballet. The lyrical image is that of a duck floating serenely on top of the water, with its feet moving extremely fast underneath while its body is floating smoothly. Metaphorically, the lyrical rhythm re-presents how things are not quite what they seem. Lyrical-style leaders lead from behind and exercise influence behind the scenes. Examples of leaders in this style include Princess Diana and Sargent Shriver. Books on lyrical-style leadership include ‘Invisible Work: The Disappearing of Relational Practice at Work’ by Joyce Fletcher, and ‘Emotional Intelligence’ by Daniel Goleman.
The staccato rhythm is short, sharp percussive; stops and starts, bursts of energy moving in various directions. It’s like flamingo dance. Metaphorically, staccato is about getting in touch with your energy, your passion, and projecting them to others. Staccato-style leaders assert, direct, coerce, and tell others what needs to be done. They break rules, take risks, challenge the status quo. They like command and control. In short, they do. Examples of such leaders include Jack Welch, Elon Musk, Madame CJ Walker.” Books on staccato-style leadership include ‘Straight from the Gut’ by Jack Welch and ‘The Art of War’ by Sun Tzu.
Regardless of styles, leaders in the twenty-first century should be secure enough to share power. David Hubbard, former president of Fuller Theological Seminary, eloquently said, The primary purpose of power is not to use it, but to share it. If a leader is confident and secure, she will create or foster a culture of integrity, commitment, and ownership. As a result, there won’t be any need for control; active participation will follow suit, and the probability of success of the organization will increase.
Despite many books, blogs, and training sessions on leadership, there is still a tremendous need for authentic and effective leaders. This paradox can be explained by the fact that leadership is both an art and fundamentally a people business. It starts with the character, personality, and integrity of a person. Regardless of style, for an individual to earn the leadership label, he or she needs to manage the organization’s purpose, foster innovation, commit to diversity, identify and solve critical problems, and leave a legacy of growth and reproduction.
Until we meet again, keep leading.
Fal Diabaté
Managing Partner, Barra Advisory Group