Day: December 30, 2016

Three Questions Leaders Must Answer

Pearls of Wisdom

Recently I found some “pearls of wisdom” online under the heading of leadership:  “When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.” It reminded me of a boss or two that I’ve had during my career, but it didn’t really speak to leadership.

Another pearl said, “When in charge, ponder. When in trouble, delegate. When in doubt, mumble.” The mumbling part reminded me of a few Congressmen. However, this too said little about leadership. When people evaluate a leader they are generally trying to answer three questions.

3 Important Questions

First, is the leader credible? Credibility comes from honesty, consistently keeping your promises and acting with integrity. Consider that the stated core values of ENRON were respect, integrity, communication and excellence. Certainly those are admirable, but problems came from their practices not being aligned with their values. That’s what leaders do. They align their own practices with the core values and hold everyone else accountable for doing the same.

But credibility also comes from demonstrating that leaders care about others. My son-in-law was a pilot in the Marines, deployed to Okinawa. My daughter set their wedding date for a month after he was to return. Unfortunately, some issues escalated there, so his deployment was extended. His Colonel knew Brian planned to be married, so he told him to go on with his wedding plans. The Colonel then made special arrangements to get him home. He didn’t have to do that, but when he did, it certainly elevated his credibility with the men in his command.

Second, is the leader competent? Followers need confidence that leaders know what they’re talking about, that they’re experienced and have put in the time. This is true in nonprofit fundraising organizations as well as multinational corporations. One of the best pure shooters I ever coached took about 400 shots daily. A study of 20-year old violinists showed that the very top performers averaged 10,000 hours of practice, while the next best performers averaged 7500 hours. Warren Buffet is reported to spend weeks of long hours studying the financial statements of potential investments. All of these people have achieved competence by putting in the hours. Followers expect that from leaders.

Third, is the leader committed? Greatness and excellence require commitment to a worthy cause beyond one’s self, something with meaning that serves others and transcends circumstances. However, commitment is proven, not just by saying that you serve a worthy cause, but by demonstrating it through your actions. Police officers and firemen consistently say that they are committed to protecting the people of their communities. However, the NYPD and NYFD teams proved their commitment through their actions on 9/11, as many gave their lives to save others.

People want to know that leaders are committed to sacrificing their own self-interest in favor of a greater purpose. In the 3rd century a terrible plague devastated Rome with about 5,000 people dying daily. While many people fled Rome, Christians went towards the city to minister to the sick and dying. This clearly demonstrated their commitment to a higher calling.

Level 5 Leaders

In Good to Great, Jim Collins discussed level 5 leaders as ones who have a combination of personal humility and fierce resolve to achieve the goals. Translated that means it’s not just about the leader; it’s about the company, the goals and the people involved.  These truths apply to fundraising, church growth and corporate sustainability.

When leaders demonstrate that they are credible, competent and committed, success is not far away!