There is a misguided conception of leadership. The misconception that money, power, and performance management through counseling, disciplinary procedures , and rewards represent the nuts and bolts of leadership, and that if one has the authority and therefore the power to bring a nation to war or to make life or death decisions then he or she is a leader. A misconception that a leader has all the answers and that his followers must be subservient. There is a view that the military-manufacturing organizational paradigm is representative of good leadership. Military officers, presidents, executive officers, managers, and supervisors are in leadership positions; but that does not make them authentic leaders.
Corporate America and government use a system of reward and punishment to manage and lead their flock to meet their goals. Leadership in this sense is the process of guiding, directing, and communicating what has to be done to meet a goal or to achieve results. However, coercing someone to do something they might not otherwise be willing to accept or do is not authentic leadership.
Corporate America’s management paradigm involves the process of planning, organizing, directing, staffing and controlling. A president, executive officer, manager, or supervisor must lead the charge in order to make goals viable and bring them to fruition. Each of these managerial processes is accomplished through technical criteria, except for leading, which does have some technical aspects, but the heart and soul of leadership is an art. The mindset of an authentic leader is very different than that of being the boss
“Authentic leaders genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership. They are more interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference than they are in power, money, or prestige for themselves. They are as guided by qualities of the heart, by passion and compassion, as they are by qualities of the mind.
Authentic leaders are not born that way. Many people have natural leadership gifts, but they have to develop them fully to become outstanding leaders. Authentic leaders use their natural abilities, but they also recognize their shortcomings and work hard to overcome them. They lead with purpose, meaning, and values. They build enduring relationships with people. Others follow them because they know where they stand. They are consistent and self-disciplined. When their principles are tested, they refuse to compromise. Authentic leaders are dedicated to developing themselves because they know that becoming a leader takes a lifetime of personal growth.” Becoming an Authentic Leader by Bill George, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School
The gift one must possess to be an effective leader, above all, is the gift of communication; the ability to articulate the message. Communication is the creation of understanding. It is the single most important attribute that defines ones capacity and ability to lead. When a leader communicates effectively he or she motivates their audience to follow their guidance and direction.
That “Motivation … as Dwight D. Eisenhower expressed it, … is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”
“They want to do it” because the message has been communicated with gravitas, a sense of importance and commitment, sincerity and truthfulness, that what is being conveyed is achievable, has value, and that all have a stake in its success. It is the empowerment of people to step up and share responsibility. “Leadership is the art of getting people to move together toward a goal they don't yet see.” For example, “courage is not the absence of fear — it's inspiring others to move beyond it.” A good leader must impart the vision and lead by setting the example. Nelson Mandela also stated “Quitting is leading too.”
Leaders come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ideologies; leaders possess good, bad, moral and immoral intentions. It is important to keep in mind that it has been opined that Adolf Hitler was actually one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known, but Hitler preached HIS vision; it was not the vision of the German people. A demagogic leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace does not possess the character of authentic leadership.
Therefore, a leader can also lead one down a wrong path. This path will often be taken when the message conveyed comes from the top down and not the bottom up. In a democratic republic the leader’s message should be a grass roots conveyance through state representation. However, authentic leadership must always be rooted at its base -- the populace. If the message is originated and conveyed from the top down, then the populace must accept or reject its principles. Unfortunately, there is always the risk that Americans will accept the principle, simply based on their archaic perspectives of leadership; critical thinking, asking oneself the tough questions, is essential to authentic leadership. There must be a shared vision, for leadership is a shared responsibility of each one of us. Authentic leadership is a process that comes with experience; it is a heterarchial process -- there is not a “chain of command.”
The leadership challenge for America is enormous. At no time before has America had a greater need for new directions in leadership.
America needs an essential new way of thinking regarding leadership and the individual leadership role every American must play in the 21st century.
With the election of a new president this just may be the time. The time and season for a new perspective: a world and an America that stands as one directed and lead by its authentic leaders, namely, “WE THE PEOPLE.”
