True Leaders Believe in Something Greater than Themselves
Are you getting sick and tired of leaders who watch out first and foremost for themselves before they do the health of their businesses? They abandon the employees they serve firing those who worked hard and skillfully to implement the leader’s strategies. In some cases, the leader’s incompetence lead to the disaster you are living with.
Such leaders are out to help themselves first rather than their customers or other stakeholders (not stockholders).
Are we not all looking for bosses and leaders with vision who can lead us to climb that next mountain to discover the thrill of success?
That is why character, courage, persistence, and inspiration must come from something that lies deep within the leader. It’s as if their drive comes from their belief in the vision of something greater than themselves.
I shared this thinking with one of my accomplished colleagues. He believed that such views were totally off base. So, being a glutton for punishment, I asked him why. He said that such leaders do not exist. And if he ever had a manager who professed such a point of view, he would not believe him.
So here you have two opposite ends trying to grapple with what good leaders are about. One is cynical and believes that such leaders do not exist in the world. The other is idealistic, choosing to believe that all people have the spark of greatness. And we are searching for those rare people with the spark that has turned into a roaring flame.
What is your view? Have you worked for or met such leaders? Can companies reach new heights without such people at the helm?
Ted Grigg
2 Comments
Reader Comments (2)
Yes, I have seen this theory in action! I can give you a personal experience I have had of the worst boss ever, and I have personally known two people who exemplified your description of a good leader.
The Worst Boss Ever
I was there for 5 years and witnessed personally him showing his face at the office office a total of 10 hours a week. That is optimal because he would spend up to 8 weeks on long trips to Europe sporadically. He was supposedly working there however I worked for a while as his assistant and was required to fit all of his receipts on an expense report. He managed to waste 10K per month on clothes, watches,fun gadgets and tools that he kept in his home. This was in addition to his salary as the CEO. Basically he used the company that had not turned a profit after 7 years of development to pay for all of his personal entertainment expenses.
In the meantime I was working my butt off. I kept taking on more and more responsibilities thinking that hard work and believing in what I was doing would pay off in the end. Finally, after I went for 2.5 years without a pay raise or even a review, I gave up.
I realized I was wasting my time trying to make sense of crazy and have gotten out of there.
I too am the Idealist. Mainly because I had grandparents who owned their own business and I grew up watching them. They were respectable leaders, and successful business people. I believe strongly that there are still leaders out there like them that retain these qualities you mentioned;"Character, courage, persistence, and inspiration must come from something that lies deep within the leader. It’s as if their drive comes from their belief in the vision of something greater than themselves."
I am currently in search of that leader, does anyone out there know anyone who fits this description? If not maybe your cynical friend is right. Maybe we have raised a baby boomer generation primed for the idiocracy!
Really like your description of a good leader. Thanks!
I must admit that none of my experiences were quite as severe as what you mentioned. But I have read several accounts that made my hair curl.
Is that company still in business? What ultimately happened to this CEO?
Thank you for your interesting story.
There are indeed some great leaders out there, but they are rare. I have one client now who demonstrates his leadership every day. Don't tell him I said so, but I would work for him for free if I had the resources to do it.