Clients in my leadership coaching practice have asked me: “Which business or political leaders should I model myself on so I can develop myself more fully as a leader? What should I read?”
The answer is a complex one. There are hundreds of inspiring and admirable leaders, from today and throughout the ages, from whom we can learn valuable lessons. And there are dozens of books, articles and blogs (such as this one!) written by eminent academics, former practitioners and self-proclaimed experts, offering tips, tools, philosophies and programs to enhance the effectiveness, productivity and performance of leaders.
But the deeper question, as I see it, is this: how can you discover and develop your own, unique, authentic and most effective leadership skills, style and voice, that are appropriate to your context and will lead to outstanding accomplishments in your organization?
The real work is to develop the self-awareness and clarity of purpose that is the hallmark of true leaders. The main reason that people work with an executive coach is to reveal any blind spots and to accelerate this process of self-development and maturation as a leader.
Nevertheless, a useful supplementary exercise is to develop your own personal library of inspiring leadership stories. I am not suggesting you model yourself on anyone else, but learning from others who are wiser or more experienced than we are is in itself a powerful leadership practice.
On a recent visit to South Africa, I picked up Nelson Mandela’s autobiography “A Long Walk to Freedom”. I found the book riveting and expect the upcoming movie will be too. Not only is Mr Mandela the epitome of an inspiring leader, but he is also Everyman, representing all of us, in our struggles and attempts to maintain our dignity and composure in the face of obstacles and challenges.
What qualities enabled him to persist and stay resilient, and to emerge as a leader willing to forgive and embrace those who had treated him with injustice and oppression?
Here are some of the take-aways that I’m adding to my personal library on leadership:
- His clear mind and ability to convey ideas simply and powerfully
- His strategic vision and unfailing tenacity in holding true to this vision, no matter what adversity came his way
- The courage with which he held onto his convictions, and the flexibility he displayed in accommodating those with opposing interests and views
- His psychological acuity in judging and dealing with people
- His big heart and capacity for reconciliation, augmented by his self-discipline, patience, persistence, and self-sacrifice
- His self-belief and unshakeable self-confidence together with a self-deprecating sense of humor; he had no need to put others down in order to advance himself.
Humbled and inspired by this great man’s story, I was struck by the fortitude with which he endured his twenty-seven years in prison. It seems he had three core strategies that ultimately enabled him to triumph over adversity:
- He created routines for himself, and found meaning in mastering small things. “To survive in prison”, he writes, “one must develop ways to take satisfaction in one’s daily life. One can feel fulfilled by washing one’s clothes so that they are particularly clean, by sweeping a corridor so that it is free of dust, by organizing one’s cell to conserve as much space as possible….A garden was one of the few things in prison that one could control. To plant a seed, watch it grow, to tend it and then harvest it offered a simple but enduring satisfaction. The sense of being the custodian of this small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom.”
- He drew strength from a community. Aside from a few wretched bouts of solitary confinement, he engaged in never-ending debates with fellow political prisoners, honing his ideas as the years went by.
- He believed in his vision of freedom and justice, and harnessed all his energies and skills to advance and support these principles, despite enormous personal sacrifice. From this unshakeable faith came his strength and power.
So, as you develop your own version of leadership through trying times, what can you adapt from this remarkable man?