The Great Leader and the False Leader

 

Alexander the Great is considered to be one of the greatest military commanders of all time. He inspired those who served under him to achieve more than they thought possible.  Alexander did this by having a compelling vision, encouraged innovation, developed group identification, and more than anything he walked the walk.  

Alexander was known to be willing to get his hands dirty and didn’t ask his troops what he wouldn’t do himself.  He quite literally led his troops into battle carrying his sword aloft as he galloped toward the enemy on horseback.  If his troops had to walk, he walked.  If his troops were hungry or thirsty, he was hungry and thirsty.  His troops loved him for this.

A leader at an organization we were talking with was having challenges with their team delivering their best work.  The leader said that they were clear in what they wanted and that their team wasn’t delivering consistently, at a high level.  It felt like their hearts weren’t in their work. On personal projects, the team showed a level of creativity and work that seemed inspired, but in tasks handed down from the leader, the work was turned in at what could be better described as an acceptable effort, but far short of their best work.

We decided to help the leader by observing their interactions with their team and reviewing the work and projects the team had been assigned and began to notice some clear patterns.  The leader was intaking projects for the team and immediately passing them off.  In fact often with less clear direction than they believed they were giving. The team seemed unenthused in meetings with this leader and often appeared to be directly challenging them with a team member once asking, what part of this project do you own?  That set alarm bells off for us.

We began to connect with the team directly to understand the team dynamics and learned fairly quickly that this leader was not “getting their hands dirty” but was leading from the back.  The leader handed all projects off directly to the team without owning any portion.  The team was looking for vision and direction from the leader.  They wanted to be sure the leader understood the asks that were coming to him and we're not just saying yes to every project without protecting his team from tasks that didn’t add value for the organization.

While we generally advise our clients to pull back and effectively delegate a leader’s team needs to have faith that the leader understands their work and is willing to get their hands dirty.  The best leaders know when they’ve asked a tremendous amount of their team and also understand that the morale of the team is boosted when the leader ‘occasionally’ works directly with the team on important projects.  Working side by side helps build camaraderie, personal relationships, and willingness for the team to go the extra mile for their leader.

Earlier we mentioned some of the things that Alexander the Great did to help his troops feel a deep passion for their work and desire to follow him into battle.

Have a Compelling Vision

• Your team must know where they're going so they know how they can help you get there.
• Leadership is about getting people from different backgrounds to struggle together toward a common goal.
• Help your people see that they can achieve more than they thought was possible.
• Help them imagine that future by painting the picture in their mind.

Encourage Innovation

• Define the outcome and not the process.  
• Different individuals will find unique solutions to the same problem. 
• Don’t hamstring your team by mandating they solve specific problems in a prescribed manner.

Develop Group Identification

•  Compelling vision and team identity go hand in hand
• When a team feels like a team they will struggle together, ensure you’re helping create that team identity so they struggle with you, not against you

Walk the Walk

• Get your hands dirty by occasionally working side by side with your team, especially on big projects or those with tight deadlines
• Be mildly involved in all projects by assigning base don talents, and for larger projects at least own the overarching vision and defined outcomes
• When the stuff hits the fan, jump right in and ask where you can be of service.  When you’ve completed your part step back into the manager’s role.  Your team will love you for it, even if you’re not quite as good at completing it as they are.

Have you ever worked with a leader that didn't walk the walk?  Have you ever struggled living up to your own expectations?  Tell us all about it below.