September 2008 Leadership is Not a Spectator Sport

I was recently conversing with a senior manager of a large financial company about attributes that define a leader.  One of his comments about leaders went something like this.  When a situation occurs that calls for direction, organization or action, and there is no one formally assigned to provide it, a leader is the one who steps forward into the breach and gets things moving.  This is very consistent with one of my own favorite definitions: leadership occurs when somebody cares enough about something to take action on it.

Think about this—especially all of you who have direct reports.  If you got hit by the proverbial bus, would anyone on your team be able and willing to rise up among their peers and keep the group moving forward?  Or would they simply lay in wait for your boss to formally assign someone, even if that takes some time?

Leaders are people who put on the jersey and get in the game.  They practice hitting the ball, and they battle through the conditioning drills.  They study films, develop game plans and strategies.  They show up to compete in the rain, snow or blazing heat.  They bring water.  They work hard at helping their teams win. 

They do not sit in the stands and complain, casting blame on the players, the coaches, the field conditions or whatever else is convenient.

Do you know people in your organizations that seem to stand off to the side and constantly voice their displeasure?  They are much more likely to spend their time being critical of the actions of others than offering or doing anything constructive on their own.  

 They are the ones who would fret about who is going to replace the boss (the one hit by the bus), how long it will take, how it will likely be a political move, etc.  And they will start formulating excuses to explain any problems they may have with their current work.  What they won’t do is step up, put themselves at risk and take ownership of the ongoing results.  They stay far away from the field, safely hidden in the stands among other spectators.

Think about what happens when that kind of behavior becomes prevalent in a group!

And then there are those, regardless of title, pay grade, age or whatever, who simply step up and start leading.  Perhaps you, too, have read accounts of people at the bottom of the organizational food chain that were instrumental in leading many of “the suits” to safety during the World Trade Center tragedy.   I have also witnessed individuals in a group immediately volunteer to take charge of handling an unexpected, jaw-dropping curve ball thrown at their team by the marketplace or management, even when all others are looking at the boss for the answers.  These are your leaders.  They are willing to act when circumstances call for action.

Are you a spectator or a player?  Are you willing to be in the game no matter the conditions, or are you more of a fair-weather player?  Are you a real time quarterback who gets hit, or a Monday morning quarterback who passes judgment?  Are you more focused on looking good for your boss— or doing good for your customer?

Take a moment and give those questions some deep thought.  The answers seem quite obvious.  In fact, my guess is that almost everyone would answer that they are indeed an all-weather, real time player focused on the customer.  If that is the case, how is it that most organizations have a number of people we know to be virtually the opposite?  Perhaps you would find it helpful to set aside your own personal viewpoint and take the opportunity to seek candid feedback about how you measure up from others around you.  That’s what a leader would do.

Remember that followership is a choice.  People may not have much say in who they work for, as bosses come and go all the time.  But people do choose the extent to which they will commit themselves and put forth extraordinary effort for you or another as their leader.

Be in the game.  Your people and your organization are counting on you..