Ten years ago, if you asked me to describe a great leader I would have said that, among other qualities, a great leader is well-rounded. That makes sense. Who wouldn’t want to follow a leader whose strength is in his or her intelligence, thoughtfulness, ability to motivate and communicate, decisiveness, approachability, ability to think strategically and influence a crowd–basically an example of human greatness? The problem is no one like that exists. In order to be the best at a skill it takes work, practice, and some natural talent. Even if someone out there is naturally inclined to be great at all those leadership qualities (which is highly unlikely), it would not be feasible to expect that he or she has time and energy to hone each skill. However, where one is weak others are strong. As summarized from years of research on leadership, Rath and Conchie (2008) conclude that great leaders maximize team performance by knowing their own strengths and the strengths and needs of each team member, and by applying that knowledge to building and maintaining productive, efficient, and confident teams.
In other words, great leaders identify what they’re good at and where they need support. Then, they enlist a group of people who have strengths where the leaders are weak, and the team members support the leaders while also supporting each other. It’s not unlike the 1980s cartoon Voltron: Defender of the Universe (n.d.). Voltron is made up of five different lion ships (one for the head, two for each arm, and two for each leg) driven by five very different people. Each person has his or her own strengths and weaknesses and while each person is strong and brave enough to fight solo, their true strength is revealed when they join together to form the robot Voltron.
To put it another way, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots football team is a star quarterback; he is also decent at catching a football; however he is probably not the fastest runner or best defensive player on the team. That’s okay because he has a team and each person on that team is really good at what they do. If Tom Brady spent his time and effort striving to be the fastest, strongest, most accurate and agile player he wouldn’t have as much time to practice passing the ball, and without practice he would lose his accuracy and the strength in his passing arm. Brady would become a player who is good at everything, but great at nothing (Rath & Conchie, 2008). However with Brady leading the team and each player doing what he does best, The New England Patriots becomes its own entity that can run, pass, and block with precision. The New England Patriots as a team is well-rounded, Tom Brady as a leader is not.
I think the idea that leaders aren’t well-rounded is freeing! Now, instead of trying to master something I’m mediocre at (and probably hate doing), I can work with someone who is motivated by the very skill that drains me, allowing me to contribute to the team that which I am good at and like doing. In order to do make this work, I need to know myself, and I need to listen to and be aware of my team as we work through each task (Rath & Conchie, 2008). As a leader it is my responsibility to see that the team is productive and confident in any situation. Be it a working group, sports team, or force to defend the universe, building a team where each member is doing what he or she is best at is what makes a leader great.
References:
Rath, T. & Conchie, B. (2008). Strengths based leadership. New York, NY: Gallup Press.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe. (n.d.). St Louis, MO: World Events Productions. Retrieved from http://www.voltron.com/#/history/show/lion-force-voltron
Aileen Lucier says
Thank you for the feedback! Yes, I completely agree with you, and I really like how you summed it all up in your last sentence. It all starts with the leader building the team, building confidence, experience, and motivation, and then at some point the success of the team (including the leader) almost seems like a stand-alone entity because it is fueled by leaders and followers alike. Great leaders inspire greatly successful followers and those followers feed the energy of the leader and it becomes a feedback loop of positive energy!
Aileen Lucier says
Hi Shaun, thank you for your comment! I agree with you that recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of oneself and of others is an important part of the leadership process rather than an innate, inherited trait. I’m sure there are people who are able to catch on to the skill of recognizing strengths and weaknesses more quickly than others, but ultimately the skill can be learned which goes against the definition of the trait approach. Along those same lines, I think that natural talent can lead a person to be a great leader; however, many people who do not have the more common leadership traits become inspiring leaders, while others who do have some of those common traits are terrible leaders. I think people have to learn to be great leaders regardless of traits and talents; in my mind there isn’t really a way around that. Regarding focusing on a single talent in order to be a leader, I don’t think many leaders are successful while concentrating on honing a single talent. As you mentioned Tom Brady has many talents other than being able to throw a football well—he is confident, influential, and knowledgeable—however, he doesn’t have to be well-rounded to be a great leader. In fact, it is better that he is not well-rounded because he is able to concentrate on his many strengths, while finding support from others where he needs it.
SHAUN MILLER says
I appreciate your description of what it takes to be a great leader. However, do you believe that recognizing one’s strengths and weakness is part of the leadership process or simple a trait characteristic? According to Northouse, the trait perspective suggests that certain individuals have special innate or inborn characteristics or qualities that make them leaders (Northouse, 2013). I tend to lean towards the process method when developing these types of skills. Using the Brady example, would it be smart for a leader to focus on a single talent or strive to learn many? Additionally, does someone’s natural talent lead them to great leadership? Do you think Tom Brady became a great leader because he was great at throwing a football or did throwing an accurate football give way to situational leadership? I also believe Tom Brady has many talents and possesses great leadership. The one trait I recognize most beyond his skills and knowledge for the game is the self-confidence trait. As Northouse stated, “leadership involves influencing others, and self-confidence allows the leader to feel assured that his or her attempts to influence others are appropriate and right (Northouse, 2013). Would you agree?
References
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, Inc.
NATHANIEL CUDLIPP says
Voltron? Wow, I am overwhelmed by nostalgia, but also admire your analogy. Another way to express your idea is in the saying that the sum of the whole is greater than the individual parts. And that is what leaders do, coalesce individuals into a team. The greater the leader the greater the achievement of the individuals who follow.