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HR Forum, February 2007 - Practicing Leadership

I came across an article the other day where a person had just bought a piano.  He had always wanted to play. Yet, in a relatively short time, he realised that buying it was a mistake. Although he very much wanted to play the piano, he discovered that he did not want to actually learn to play the piano.

I think the analogy works well when we think about leadership development. Often, when I am working with companies there is a wish for their managers to be changed into leaders and quickly!   This wish for a quick transformation applies just as much to people promoted into a leadership role, who realise that just because they now have the title, it does not make them a leader. We know behavioural change does not happen, just because we or the organization want it. Just like with the piano, we all have to learn and practice new skills and become more confident and competent in applying them. And like all learning, it takes time, effort, mistakes and commitment

Learning about leadership is not the same thing as learning to lead. If only it could be as simple as attending a seminar or reading a few of the top rated books on the topic. Entering 'leadership' into Google provided around 503,000,000 entries worldwide. So, how from all this noise and new ideas, do we find what really works?

The truth lies in this famous quote; "The more I practice, the luckier I get" Gary Player (famous golfer).  Practice and experience really move people forward on the leadership skill development road. This is borne out by some research which looked at differentiating factors of gold medallists. The single most important factor in winning a gold medal was having practiced longer than one's competitors.   Evidence suggests that gold medal winners are not necessarily more talented than everybody else. They just work much harder and much longer at being athletes than everyone else does. Next time you watch a sportsperson, think about how much of their  life they have spent practicing - and failing - and adjusting - and practicing some more.

Whilst we may not all be gold medallists, we can make an impact in the role we have. Why don't we always have the impact we want?  Musicians and athletes practice to get prepared for scheduled events, to show what they can do and they get judged and evaluated at that point.  They practice away from the critics and frequently have a personal coach working with them, constantly, to give them feedback, ideas and support.

A very different environment from which leaders practice in?  That is, in real time and in the presence of the very people they are attempting to lead and usually without the support of a mentor or coach.  There is no private place in which to sharpen their skills. Their mistakes, which are a key part of learning, are in full view. Maybe a reason why people don't try to or are slow to  move forward or just stick with the styles they prefer rather than the ones the team needs.

"At the core of becoming a leader is the need to connect one's voice with one's touch," wrote Max Dupree, former chair of Herman Miller. Is what you say and what you try to do in line? These are true anecdotes about mixed messages.

...like the vice president who sent around articles on TQM but refused to allow employees to go for training.

...like the executive who wanted her managers to learn leadership, communication, problem-solving, team-building, and visioning in a two-day training because "learning is important."

...like the company which believed itself  "innovative" and yet used a one-size-fits-all budget scheme for its diverse operations.

There are a couple of lessons out of all of this.

First, from personal experience of over 20 years, most people will forgive you your leadership mistakes if they see your intent was good and you were trying to connect your "voice and touch". Just don't keep making the same mistake!

Second, recognise, you are going to make mistakes as you practice and learn. It is going to take courage and determination to keep going. Remember what you are good at and acknowledge your shortcomings. Continue to learn from the mistakes and try to find a coach, mentor or support person to help you and to keep things in perspective.  Not practicing is simply not an option

Finally, be nice to those leaders around you - who for the most part are trying their best!

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