Six Burdens of Leadership - With Reference to Bishop Malone of the Buffalo Diocese

While this piece is specifically in reference to our local diocese, the information within is directly transferable to EMS leadership. Please keep your leaders or your path to leadership in mind as you read!

I don't believe in natural-born leaders. Yes, there are people who seem to find transition into leadership very easy, and of those, some end up leaving a legacy of exceptional leadership. However one does not drop from the womb with "leader" emblazoned on his or her forehead. The skills of leadership - and the ability to adapt those skills to meet the needs of a multitude of situations and scenarios - are learned over time through experience and mentorship. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book "Outliers," makes it very clear that exceptional people are just that - exceptional. But they became exceptional in part due to favorable circumstances: strong mentorship, strong upbringing, access to experiences, etc. In short, great leaders have a blend of innate skill AND backing and resources. Individuals who are both successful and who experience longevity are rarely created overnight.

Nonetheless many people suffer from the illusion that leadership is defined strictly by a title; if you put "CEO" or "Director" or "President" in front of someone's name they automatically become a leader with all the benefits thereof. Some even spend their lives chasing that elusive title. Paradoxically, those who pursue the title in and of itself are generally the poorest leaders because they often lack the knowledge of what leadership is below the surface of the titles and business cards. Leadership is responsibility. A great leader that I have worked with once said to me "Walk into a room and ask 'Who's in charge?' You'll see many hands raised. Walk into the same room and ask 'Who's responsible for this?'  and you'll see far fewer hands.” Those hands that you DO see are people who understand not the perks, but the burdens of leadership - burdens which really are outlined by extremes of accountability. Whole university programs and voluminous books are dedicated to promoting and teaching leadership. However, while I am by no means the absolute authority on the subject, I’ll offer what my experiences have taught me are six burdens of a great leader:

1. A great leader (gender makes no difference) first communicates the mission of his organization to the other members of that organization. He then demonstrates behavior consistent with that mission - both inside of and outside of work. He literally constructs his office, public, and social media personas such that he is always aligned with the goals and values of his organization. Furthermore his actions model the successful mission. He never asks for things from his subordinates that he would not be willing to do himself. He grabs a broom when the floor is dirty. He lifts a bushel when the work is backing up.

2. A great leader believes in truth to power. He asks his subordinates for their feedback, and he considers their concerns about decisions that he makes. He welcomes productive critique from his people and seeks their honest appraisal because he knows that he cannot see all things and be present for all situations. He depends on his staff to help him lead effectively and make the best decisions for the organization.

3. A great leader encourages and teaches his subordinates to be better. He shows them how he was successful and how they too can be successful. It is not enough for a leader to sit back and say "Look where I have arrived!" The great leader also says to his charges "Here is how you, too, can grow and progress."

4. A great leader owns his mistakes. When his failures become apparent he embraces them, often publicly. He explains the failures, provides any due restitution, and then indicates what measures he will take to keep that failure from happening again. In this way he models personal accountability for his subordinates, and demonstrates a commitment to his customers and to the organizational mission. He also owns the mistakes of his subordinates. When all is said and done, the people working on behalf of the organization are doing so with authority and with some understanding of the organizational mission. These two things are given to each employee directly by the leader. If an employee fails the mission, the leader can be disappointed and angry but ultimately the great leader stands beside the employee and says "this person's failure is on me." Whether the mission was not clearly communicated, the authority was misplaced, or a lack of competence was overlooked, the leader is responsible and understands his culpability.

5. A great leader embraces a "Just Culture" model - coaching honest mistakes and disciplining recklessness. He also recognizes when a person’s failure is simply malicious and self-serving, and the great leader removes those personnel from his organization. He then adheres to hallmark #4 above.

6. A great leader so loves the mission of his organization that, should he find that he is no longer effective in his position, he removes himself from that position. THIS is the ultimate burden of leadership. When one loses the confidence of his people, when he fails in any of the above attributes, when he understands that the organization is operating at a loss BECAUSE of him, he honorably steps down for the betterment of the collective. With a self-aware abdication comes self-respect, and often the respect of others.

To be sure, title is not true power - at least not long-lasting power. Title and behavior together create a great leader. Every leader must constantly reflect on his or her performance and assess effectiveness. Thus, while gaining a title is sometimes easy, being an effective leader is certainly not. It is exhausting and requires a great deal of personal discipline and self-critique. If you seek to be a leader, be sure that you understand the burdens lest your hubris destroy an entire organization.


-Sean P Hulsman


Comments

Popular Posts