WHEN Eric Williams threw his hat (or his crown, as some would say) into the political ring in 1956, he dazzled his compatriots with his enlightened and visionary leadership, amid all the turbulence and confusion of Trinidadian politics. As the founder of that nation’s first modern political party and principal architect of its independence in 1962, the brilliant scholar-politician inspired almost an entire generation of Caribbean people to dream more, become more and learn more in the pursuit of socio-political change and economic development.
Against almost insurmountable colonial odds, Williams was determined to translate his social and economic vision into reality and unlock the people’s potential to become better and responsible citizens. That outstanding ability to reach people in a way that transcends the intellectual and social is the mark of a truly great leader. Williams was a transformative Caribbean leader who recognized “education for the masses” as a political opportunity for national development. For him, politics was a continuation of education by other means.
Reading for leadership
By all accounts, Williams was an indefatigable political servant committed to the welfare of his people, as well as an AVID READER whose broad reading habits, by and large, defined his leadership ethos — often saliently manifested in his unparalleled command of the issues, his communication skills, emotional intelligence and organizational effectiveness. One of the things I admired most about him — both as an educator and politician — was the manner in which his character amplified his humility and goodwill, despite having a daunted reputation for intellectual erudition and articulate oratory.
The heart of leadership
So what else defines a strong leader and what lessons can we learn from the stewardship of other luminaries? First, a leader is one who inspires, an agent of change, a developer who shows the way forward and a dealer in hope. Pat Dixon, author of the book, “Making the Difference: Women and Men in the Workplace”, says that leadership is about “making things happen through people who are as enthusiastic and interested as you are.” A good leader should be able to speak out articulately and with conviction. It’s having the confidence to say “I believe” instead of “I think”, maintains Dixon.
What is more, strong leaders create their own horizons and are “masters of pursuitology”, i.e., they optimize the impact, nature and value of relationships, knowledge, results and excellence. It’s widely accepted that almost everything a leader does is amplified in the culture of the organization. Research on leadership effectiveness has shown that institutions, especially weak ones, take on the personality of their leaders.
Character is everything
Today, strong leadership, whether it is in business, social organizations, political parties or in government, is widely seen as a function of not only visionary thinking and competence, but also of personal character and integrity. Often, people buy into the “leader” before they buy into the vision or strategy. Norman Schwarzkopf, the United States Army General who led all the coalition forces in the Persian Gulf War, believes: “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy.”
Outstanding leaders do accept and understand that the content of their character fundamentally shapes how they engage their followers, what they observe and value, and most importantly what they decide and choose to act on. That is why a person of poor character essentially is likely to be lousy in the broader process of leadership.
Invariably, the vexing question for leaders is to determine how to get disparate groups to work together in a common interest. History is replete with examples of charismatic leaders who kept the loyalty and affection of their people and who were able to keep their organizations or countries together by showing a high degree of conscientiousness, trustworthiness and emotional intelligence.
On that point, Sir Winston Churchill believed influence and impact to be more important than tactics and strategy. “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results,” he once advised.
Just as a good manager can keep an inefficient company running relatively smoothly, a good leader can transform a demoralized country or organization into a vibrant, functional and forward-looking entity. Quite instructive are the successes and transformational impacts of Jack Welsh at General Electric (GE), Steve Jobs at Apple, Ludwig Erhard in Germany and Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore. Those leaders were able to motivate, direct and organise their people and organizations to achieve a common goal and execute their vision and grand ideas by process, power and promise.
Building a solid base one brick at a time
In large measure, the success of those leaders entailed the sense of direction, orientation and guidance they provided to their people and organizations — first by defining their mission and then surrounding themselves with the right people with the right mindset and skills-set to get the job done. This idea of having a leadership compass is expounded in the works of Jim Collins, a management thinker and author: “Great leaders did not start to make their companies great or successful by setting a new vision and a new strategy, but instead they got the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats – and then figured out where to drive.”
Having taught leadership courses for many years, I’m fully aware of the diverse and divergent views on the subject, and how leadership and management are often quoted together –incorrectly believed to be interchangeable, and misunderstood.
Whereas management is a transactional position entailing work and functions performed within and according to set boundaries, leadership is a transformational quality which primarily focuses on the development and welfare of people.
I remember having a class discussion about the difference between a leader and a manager, where the German students practically rejected every idea posited by their Asian counterparts. There were times I would be amazed at the various unconventional responses given by international students on the question of leadership effectiveness. In any event, such discourses made me realize how cultural values and social structures help shape the definition, role and outlook of both leaders and managers in various parts of the world.
Williams, like other great Caribbean leaders, demonstrated that leadership is not simply about breeding or height — taller being better, as the early theorists believed. It’s not simply about intelligence and charisma, either. When we’re inspired by great leadership that promotes inclusive growth, social justice and institutional effectiveness, we give the best of ourselves and produce amazing work. The imperative of people empowerment should always guide the actions and motivations of a good leader.
In the final analysis, leadership is about influencing and impacting people as well as getting results. Benjamin Franklin couldn’t have expressed it any more explicitly when he said: “Well done is better than well said.”
[For comments, write to [email protected] — Clement Wulf-Soulage is a Management Economist, Published Author and Former University Lecturer.]