Our Italian friend (and great trainer) Luca Baiguni pointed out our previous post was about an important topic: dealing with maintaining the action in leadership. At this point, he wondered if the qualities and skills of both the initiator and the “maintenance man” could be found in the same person. The thing is, indeed, very interesting, and the answer depends on many a factor.
First, I accessed Google and checked what the expression “maintain the leadership” meant. A lot of entries clearly showed maintaining the leadership in the market, that is, keep a top position in a certain sector. In short, a matter of power and occupying a position of pre-eminence.
The question is: do people only aim to keep and maintain this kind of leadership? A leadership of economic or social kind only? If so, should all we said about long-term vision, direction “towards” and so on undergo a drastic review?
No, if we change our point of view. Actually, changing the point of observation.
Reading Chris Lowney’s “Heroic Leadership” I had a sudden inspiration. The book is about the Jesuits, the religious order founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1540, with more than 450 years of history and always on a leading position. At the beginning of chapter ten we read: “Exceptional Daring Was Essential – How the End of Risk Taking Almost Ended the Jesuits”. We find out that only a few companies “maintain the leadership edge necessary from generation to generation.” (page. 229) This is true especially with the passing of centuries. Lowney points our that, of all the 100 top companies in 1900, only 16 survived by the end of the century (page. 229). There are many reasons for that, from merging to market difficulties to name but a few.
If we keep our initial focus, maintaining the action (which ultimately is the translation of vision into effectiveness), and use the concept of company, we can give the thing an interesting reading and agree with Luca.
Let us consider the company as the mean that turns leadership into action. Every company has a boss, a charismatic leader which creates it from nothing giving it a remarkable improvement. He/she takes care of turning vision into action, also maintaining the alignment of the various different balances. In doing that, he/she may need other people for the control and maintenance operations. Not only need these people share the leader’s ideas; they must have the same vision and bring their work accordingly. Thus, individual mission co-exists with vision. In order to build a palace, each one has to bring his/her brick.
What happens when the leader retires?
In order for leadership to be maintained, someone who totally embraced that vision must take over, adjusting his mission in that direction. That does not mean to stay put and not innovate; it simply means leave the core intact. If the one taking over did not match such vision, adopting other criteria such as the leading position within the market or whichever other power-related position, leadership comes to an inevitable end. The position on the market may be kept, but the company is no longer what turns the old vision (that is, leadership) into action. It’s something else, something different.
This also explains why companies sometimes close down. Using the example of the river from the other post, it is as if we took all the water and bring it to a new watercourse. It will end up absorbed by the soil. Why? Because there is neither spring nor those who keep it clean and free to flow.
On the other side, the river will recreate its course. It will take time, but as long as spring keeps water flowing out it’s all set. In Lowney’s words shifting gears but not “reverse course or abandon their leadership principles” (page. 229).
Let us therefore think of what we mean when we talk about leadership. The word comes from the old English laedan, to go. Once again we find the direction “towards” something.
If leadership means to keep the leading position of the market, we are not going “towards”; in the best of cases, we stay right where we are, which is not acting, it’s preserving.
Great post!