Real Leaders Don't Boss (37 page)

Real leaders practice core values like honesty and integrity.

When leaders believe in themselves and their visions, others are motivated to follow.

Real leaders must work to rebuild employee trust. To do that requires a commitment to hiring based on skill levels; compensation that's fair and equitable for everyone; an honest and straightforward approach; and in case of mistakes, owning up and moving on. (For excellent articles on the subject of trust, its restoration, and the importance in organizational life today, see articles written by Ross Goldberg, president, Kevin/Ross Public Relations.)
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 Chapter 8 
Get Ready to Lead

An army of a thousand is easy to find, but, ah, how difficult to find a general.

—Chinese Proverb

In these pages you have read about some of the admirable leaders of yesterday and today, and the traits that make them great. Whether leaders of countries, mega-corporations, the military, or small businesses, each individual in his or her own way makes a difference and inspires those around him or her to achieve greatness.

The choice is now yours. Are you ready to step out from the shadows and step up to the challenge to inspire others, to promote your passions, to recommit to your ideals, and to become one of tomorrow's real leaders? The choice is not easy. Not everyone is comfortable in a leadership role or cut out to be a real leader in the workplace. Almost all of us, however, can become better people in our work and personal lives by adopting some or all of the qualities that characterize real leaders.

Don't be discouraged if you feel as if your path to leadership is stymied by too many roadblocks, potholes, and distractions. If you commit to becoming a better person, a better leader, you have a better chance to succeed. As I mentioned previously, many of the great leaders of yesterday and today faced big obstacles to their leadership, yet they persevered in their convictions, and went on to become great. You can do it, too.

Aspiring leaders today would do well to follow the examples of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Both were great men who were friends despite their very different political beliefs and, as real leaders, did not allow their egos to get in the way of their work. Reagan and Kennedy were not afraid to hire staffs that were brighter or more capable than they were in some capacities, and the staffers were incredibly loyal. And, this is certainly true in my case as well, as each one of my team members was more talented than me. Few would dispute that Sen. Kennedy had one of the most talented congressional staffs in recent history.

Veterans of Kennedy's Senate staff and Reagan's White House often went on to become illustrious alumni. A few of those proud former staffers include Melody Barnes, former chief counsel to Sen. Kennedy, and now President Obama's top domestic advisor; Kenneth R. Feinberg, Kennedy's former chief of staff who served in the Obama administration as the “pay czar” or Special Master for TARP Executive Compensation; Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, a former associate counsel to Reagan; and Peggy Noonan, Reagan's speechwriter and special assistant, now a
New York Times
best-selling author and conservative columnist.

U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar is another who is a highly talented, true servant leader, one who develops others, and someone for whom I've also campaigned several times. A former Rhodes Scholar, former mayor of Indianapolis, and former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he wields considerable influence in Indiana, Washington, D.C., and the nation. But as I said earlier, he's humble, approachable, and a dedicated teacher. Lugar makes a strong commitment to build leaders from the ground up, to build consensus, and to remain committed to his beliefs. His work will live on long after he leaves Congress. It certainly did in Indianapolis, where as mayor he transformed city government through creation of “Unigov,” at the time a controversial move to combine the city and county into one governmental entity. Despite opposition, Lugar was steadfast in his belief that Indianapolis and the surrounding area needed to broaden its population and tax base in order to attract new business and develop into a world-class city.

Lugar's myriad accomplishments are testaments to his consistent drive to build consensus. He's a leader who believes in reason and sharing information. Even in the heat of a tough political campaign, Sen. Lugar has the ability to take a negative question and turn it into an opportunity to bring people to his point of view. He allows for a critic's doubt, calmly explains why the criticism is not accurate, and then enlightens the audience with more information, often letting them inside the complex process of making an important decision.

Seeking his seventh consecutive term, the Hoosier icon is one of the Senate's brightest, most savvy, conscientious, trustworthy, pragmatic, and farsighted public servants. When I heard recently that some have criticized him for having “crossed the aisle” to work with Democrats to pass critically important legislation, I was reminded of great Americans like Sam Rayburn of Texas, Mike Mansfield of Montana, Howard Baker of Tennessee, and Philip Hart of Michigan—who also put country above party and self. I have often asked myself what experiences were pivotal in Lugar's development as a real leader. Was it being a farmer, business owner, naval officer, or mayor of a major city? Perhaps it is the combination of these and other experiences, his family, and more that led
Time
magazine to name Lugar as one of America's 10 best Senators. Lugar's courage and willingness to risk his own political future for the sake of the country make him my pick for a real leader.

If more CEOs, college presidents, hospital administrators, and elected officials followed these examples of placing a premium on finding and nurturing top talent—their individual performance and that of their organizations would improve immeasurably. What these real leaders recognized is that if you deliberately hire the best talent, mentor them, and reward them, then others among the best and the brightest talent also will want to work for you.

Leland Doan, Dow Chemical CEO, used his unique brand of quiet diplomacy as a bridge between the old and emerging leaders of the company, and thus positioned Dow for greatness going forward. As author Don Whitehead writes in
The Dow Story: The History of Dow Chemical Company
(McGraw-Hill, 1983), Doan led “the company over the postwar shoals into its greatest period of growth in its history.” Do you really believe
that one of a real leader's most important roles is not to develop a leadership pipeline within the organization? At one time, Dow boasted of having more individuals with doctoral degrees on its payroll than any company or university in the country.

In sports, John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, Nick Saban, and Bo Schembechler are excellent examples of real leaders who could and did draw from a ready supply of athletes clamoring to be part of the team. None of these outstanding leaders ever bossed, but they were definitely disciplined; indeed, they are examples for trying to teach athletes much more than the X's and O's of basketball and football, and many of the young men they mentored are champions in all aspects of life.