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