54 DC VELOCITY MAY 2017 www.dcvelocity.com
WITH ALL THE PALAVER ABOUT LEADERSHIP—
BEHAViors, attributes, successes—it is all too easy to imagine that the subject is all about what it takes to be the next CEO, the paladin who
rides a white horse at the head of a conquering army. Well, maybe.
We do need some CEOs.
We also need CFOs (chief financial officers), CAOs (chief administrative officers), COOs (chief operating officers), CIOs (chief
information officers), and CSCOs (chief supply chain officers). But
it does seem that not nearly all of these exalted beings have fully
internalized the tenets of 21st century leadership.
Everyone needs basic leadership lessons to help them become
better managers and take organizations to greater heights, with better—and sustainable—people performance. But CFOs seem to get
lost in the numbers, forsaking all other areas of focus. CAOs tend to
get bogged down in processes and rigorous execution to the exclusion of expedient deviations
and of the incorporation of human concerns in
almighty policies.
COOs can jump the tracks of leadership
behavior due to a singular focus on getting
things done—now! CIOs may struggle with
integrating human-level activities, preferences, biases, and imprinted behaviors in new or
revised systems, taking refuge in the dispassionate technology that gallops into our previously
quiet lives. And CSCOs, who need the leadership
skill set as much as anyone—and are frequently
so predisposed—too often have to short circuit
doing the right thing the right way in order to
meet the cascading imperatives imposed by peers and customers.
WHY?
Some of these tendencies may be explained by the variations in
how individuals’ brains are hard-wired. Some may be reflections of
last-century thinking about management. Still others could result
from modeling the behaviors of respected—or feared—bosses.
Whatever, cures are possible, as well as desirable. Contrary to
conventional wisdom, leaders are made, not born. No one can
inherit genuine leadership ability; it must be learned.
AND THE REST OF US?
News flash! Not all of us aspire to the C-suite. And few of us, even
those with corporate ambitions, are anywhere near reaching the
seats of power. But we all—each and every one—can benefit from
learning and applying leadership skills and behaviors in our work
lives and in life in general. Even the future CEO does not overnight
become a leader simply because of an elevation in status.
BY ART VAN BODEGRAVEN basictraining
Embracing leadership
A key to success in reaching authentic leadership status lies in repetition. Much like becoming
the next Serena Williams, or Brett Favre, or Yo
Yo Ma, it’s vital to start early. Then, never let up,
never stop, never mail it in, and never falter upon
running up against the inevitable obstacles.
EVERYDAY LEADERSHIP
Wherever you are in work, in life, in relationships, in the extracurriculars, it’s an integral part
of the process to demonstrate and refine leadership behaviors. The process? That’s the building
and layering that evolves into powerful and
acknowledged leadership; the embrace and internalization of the precepts that
make an individual stand out
in accepted and welcomed positive ways.
Embarking on, and staying
on, the leadership course is
as important in the mailroom
as it is in the C-suite. Perhaps
it’s even more important
there because it is where one
learns how to fail and recover, how to be real, and what
specific things are honest and
consistent with one’s mental
makeup.
Whether or not one is a leader at work, and irrespective of long-term career aspirations, leadership
opportunities surround us. We are short-changing
ourselves and leaving those around us poorer if
we fail to demonstrate and practice the things that
attract followers—and improve results.
Church groups, school and charitable organizations, homeless programs, Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts,
disaster relief efforts … the needs are staggering
in scope and number. Sure, they all need pairs of
hands and warm bodies to get the work done. But
none of that comes remotely close to potential
without the organization, vision, and direction
that leadership brings. And there’s no rule that
prohibits leaders from pitching in to execute necessary work—in fact, a leader can either gain or
lose credibility by his or her willingness to suffer
dirty fingernails.
