Are politicians leaders?
April 24, 2008 by Miki Saxon
Post from Leadership Turn Image credit: jensimon7
Bridget from Biz Chicks Rule was surprised that I don’t consider politicians leaders since “they tell us their vision and lay a path of guidance to show how we’re going to get there?”
To me, the ability to articulate a vision and describe a path a leader does not make.
My idea of a leader is about 2500 years old and comes from Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching
As for the best leaders,
the people do not notice their existence…
When the best leader’s work is done,
the people say, “We did it ourselves!”
To lead the people, walk behind them.
Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.
The superior leader gets things done with very little motion. He imparts instruction not through many words but through a few deeds. He keeps informed about everything but interferes hardly at all. He is a catalyst, and though things would not get done well if he weren’t there, when they succeed he takes no credit. And because he takes no credit, credit never leaves him.
Do you know of a politician who fits these descriptions.
Your comments—priceless
Mmmm….Mikki, very, very interesting.
So you’re saying that to gauge a leader’s effectiveness, the troops will say “we got it done” not necessarily crediting the leader’s ability, but rather their own strength for having “gotten it done.
“When the best leader’s work is done,
the people say, “We did it ourselves!”
“The superior leader gets things done with very little motion.” Again, interesting. I look at impactful leaders and see where they were FULL of motion and action in getting things done. What I fear in what you’re describing is a leader who simply spouts out a few words and a few deeds and then people just fall into line. Seems lazy to me. A leader does not necessarily work as hard as the worker bees, but his dedciation to duty is what motivates the masses, right?
I’m sure you’ll set me straight…
:-)
And on another semi-tangent: if your description of a leader is as you say, then what is the job of the manager? To _____________?
Bridget, I’m saying, as did Lao Tzu, that a leader does everything you say, but looks for no recognition or credit. They aren’t up there saying look at me, look at what I did. When they say anything about the accomplishment, whatever it is, they talk about their team, not themselves.
In my opinion, a leader works just as hard, if not harder, than his team. it may not be the same kind of work and maybe it doesn’t even look like work, but someone who communicates a vision, lays out a course of action and then sits back waiting for others to produce results isn’t a leader.
So what’s a manager? Both my belief and experience says that a GOOD manager is also a leader. Even if he’s executing his bosses vision, if he doesn’t produce a his own version and approach he’ll end up ordering his people to do something, not inspiring them. To which do you respond best?
I’m proceeding with this topic tomorrow and next week. I hope you’ll come back.