The Basic Essentials of Leadership

There are literally hundreds of books written on leadership, and eventually there will be dozens of articles posted on this website, but when you strip everything else away, an effective leader has one overriding characteristic...

VISION

Who, in their mind can't hear Dr. Martin Luther King state "I have a dream.", and who isn't immediately inspired when they hear that phrase? (to read the entire transcript from this speech click here ). You may notice in this speech that Dr. King never asked to be followed. He simply shared with the masses what HIS dream was. He painted a clear and vivid picture of what he envisioned his new reality to be. In this case, he envisioned freedom and equality among all men. If this was a reality that the people who heard him wanted to share, then they naturally became his followers. Dr. King appeared to have a plan and a strategic map for making change possible and thus this was somebody worth supporting.

Similarly, if you read my biography on the about Mike Caldwell page, you will see a story where during an adventure race 2 teams were following us through a trekking section to lead them out of the bush. In this instance, although I was a leader who had 8 followers for limited period of time, my followers were following me for the same reasons Dr. Kings followers were following him.

1) I had vision. My vision was to make it back to my canoes while Dr. King envisioned freedom.
2) I had a plan to make it happen. I was going to use my map and compass and chart the easiest way back to the water. Dr. King was going to use his powers of speech and motivation to get more and more people to listen.
3) I had the tools to make my plan happen. It was known that I was a successful adventure racer and regularly gave courses in map and compass navigation. Dr. King already had a reputation for motivating people for initiating change.
4) Following me was a better alternative than trekking through the forest alone. The groups that were following me had weak navigation skills, by following me they were assured to reach their destination. On their own, there was a strong likelihood of becoming lost. Similarly, by joining Dr. King an individual could play a role in making change happen. On their own, their efforts would be unrecognized and futile.

Thus we have 2 examples of leadership from both ends of the spectrum. One example deals with bringing forth freedom to a nation, and the other speaks of a dozen people hiking in the woods. Yet the basic elements of leadership are the same in both examples.

First you have to have a vision that can motivate others. This means you can't have a selfish vision and expect others to follow you. If my vision is to earn a million dollars this year so I can buy a new house and car, why would anybody want to put their effort in to helping me? However, if I wanted to raise a million dollars this year to develop a treatment that would cure cancer, I think I would have the support of many more people.

Dr. King's vision was to bring freedom and equality to the United States. His vision wasn't to become president or earn a lot of money giving speeches. If Martin Luther King were alive today and run for the presidency I believe he would win in a landslide because you wouldn't be voting for him, you would be voting for a vision that both you and he share.

But vision alone isn't enough, a leader must also possess a strategy and the tools to make the game plan a reality. There are a number of people in leadership roles today that want "world peace". Don't we all want world peace? Then why is it today, there is no one over-riding leader who we support to bring about world peace?

Because nobody has a plan that can realistically be implemented. If I am going to follow somebody, I don't just want to share in their dream to reach the same destination, I have to trust they have the plan and the tools to make it there. And I also need to believe that they can get me there quicker and easier than I could make it on my own.

So if you are aspiring to lead the first thing you need to examine is your values and motivation. Do you want to lead people for the good of the people or the good of yourself? There is nothing wrong with having a primary goal that is selfishly motivated. Perhaps your first priority is to make more money so you can purchase a larger house so that your son and daughter can each have their own bedrooms. That is an excellent goal and one that will definitely inspire your spouse and children. But don't expect your coworkers in the office to get behind you on this one.

If you want to try and lead your coworkers so that you will get noticed by management and promoted, thus earning more money to buy a house... you probably won't be a very successful leader. Your primary vision is family oriented and not work focused and eventually your "followers" will pick up on this.

A leader and his/her followers form a TEAM. Thus the shared vision and motivating factor needs to be one shared by everyone on that team.

So if a vision, a plan, and the right tools are all that are needed to be a leader, then why are there so many books and articles on the subject of leadership?

Most of the books today aren't on what is in the heart of a leader, rather they are pertaining to what makes an effective leader. You may have an excellent, selfless vision, and you may have created a roadmap that guarantees success, but if you are weak in communicating your ideas nobody will ever listen to you. This was one of Dr. King's greatest strengths. He knew how to speak and motivate others.

And regardless of how "bomb proof" you believe your plan to be, there will always be roadblocks and unforeseen detours along the way. Thus you also need to be a master of problem solving, minimizing resistance,and managing conflict and change. You also need to have the ability to motivate yourself and stay true to your values and the vision when times get rough.

This is why there is so much literature on leadership today. Because there really is much to know to be effective. But the starting point for any leader is to "know thyself" and examine your values. Stay true to those two things and before long you will find yourseld in the role of a leader.