The Original Leader

Who is the original leader? An original leader likely draws heavily upon their own inner resources to identify where their own and other’s best fits and talents lie so as to maximize the company’s efficiency. Also important though is their ability to confront inadequacies whether within or without to create strategic maneuvers capable of overcoming the obstacles to success. Therefore the original leader is not only innovative but responsible as well. A well-informed leader will make use of several of the management techniques and styles presented within this paper to ensure a smooth running enterprise. 

In “Discovering Your Authentic Leadership” George, Sims, McLean, and Mayer divulge important considerations for industry professionals. One of the main points is that although thousands of studies have been done on leadership, a clear profile for an authentic leader has not emerged (George et al., 2007, p. 2). That is because leaders are the product of a lifetime’s work of consciously monitoring personal growth and accepting personal potential. A key characteristic of a leader’s achievement is their ability to frame circumstances in their lives so as to reveal the driving and adaptive agency within their beings. Furthermore, the balance between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivations to develop a healthy relationship between the rewards for good work and the value of doing something for its own sale (George et al., 2007, p 2). 

Consistently across George et al.’s study of hundreds of leaders, there was the shared ability to learn from one’s own experiences. This makes sense in light of how deep our inner resources are compared to external ones. For instance, an organization may offer one helpful mentorship and an environment to test out one’s skills but if the inner sounding board cannot reflect what is happening and how this ‘fits’ in with one’s own life path the experience will be devoid of any real meaning. Such an emphasis on internal processes is no surprise since to be a greater leader to others one must first be that leader for themselves. Just like a company has doldrums, restricted assets, aspirations for the future, and a need to function sustainably, so too do people. An original leader understands the microcosm of their own being and can apply that knowledge to the macrocosm of their world. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within more than the luster of the firmament of the bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought because of it his. In every work of genius, we recognize our own rejected thoughts” (as quoted in Pritchett, 2014, para. 3). Given this inspiring note of Emerson’s, it is no surprise that the Stanford Graduate School’s Businesses’ Advisory Council rated self-awareness unanimously as the greatest asset possessed by leaders (George et al., 2007, p. 3). There is a truly profound lesson to be gained here. Neither Technical skills, likeability, nor networking skills are considered as important as self-knowledge in leadership. In fact, the pursuit of external rewards can undercut the inner development necessary to become a strong leader. No wonder one of the foremost characteristics of a leader is to balance their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.

Balancing also is a key skill required in sales and operations planning. Managers often are confronted with the challenging task of strategically reconciling horizontal and vertical company alignments for long and short-term goals (Wagner, 2014, p. 189). Alignment is a skill directly related to the ability to accurately weigh between the use and value of two different principles and determine where there is a resonance that one can capitalize upon. An original and strategic thinker thus uses their influence to navigate the company to the best possible outcome.

How the original leader will use the tool of persuasion will also largely determine the effectiveness of his leading ability. Persuasion is a double-edged sword which if not used with the right intentions can easily lead to unethical behavior which negatively impacts one’s leadership abilities. A leader’s responsibility is to direct and guide company resources to their greatest manifestation which inherently gives them enormous influence over others. Since the temptation to wield this power is sometimes subtle and seductive, a method for counteracting any manipulation is necessary. In Power, Influence, and Perception manipulation is defined as behavior which deliberately misaligns others of one’s true intentions. Consequences of manipulation can be devastating for organizations as the mistrust and overall disharmony it engenders is simply not functional. An original leader in their personal inventory ought to examine personal intentions both interpersonal and intrapersonal to keep perfectly transparent. External deception begins within usually. Even in questionable situations where the temptation to hide one’s intentions for the best of reasons, a person who is clear within can give information in a simple and informative way that does not usually impact the value of the message being given. Furthermore, it inspires greater cooperation, respect for company policy, and directness among organization members. 

This clarity of communication is especially helpful for managers building effective teams in real time. Rapid Team Building requires individuals to relate honestly, efficiently, and decisively. Often times the conglomeration of departments necessary for sound team building require people who have never met before to collaborate to finish projects. An original leader should use their perceptive abilities to see whose skills are the best for the situation at hand and optimize their strengths in a synergistic way (Garfield, & Stanton, 2005, p. 4). Certainly, one who is open and transparent enough to deliver unbiased instruction will be able to fulfill the role leader far better than a solely self-interested leader. Paradoxically, a person’s ability to lead is largely determined by the level of receptivity they possess. Observing closely patterns in company infrastructure, who is the best candidate for a position, where the best results are to be created and a willingness to reform what is no longer working, are all capacities of a receptive leader. 

A leader who invests deeply in their interpersonal capabilities reinforces one of the most important resources of their company, their informal networks. Generally, managers assume they know more about the informal networks of the office than they actually do (Krackhardt & Hanson, 1993, p. 105). In this case, an additional step is required for managers to reach the next level of company resourcefulness, that of network analysis. Network analysis creates maps that detail the trust, communication, and key employee networks that make up an organization so that their leaders can get a full range perspective of where they exist on the chain of command and how to best lead the other links. Certain individuals carry greater trust and influence in the company than others and knowing how to maximize their performance requires a leader who is as intelligent as they are diplomatic. Some people mesh better together than others and carefully constructing a model for whom is best suited whom can go a long way to win organizational favor, improve results, and create a friendly and open atmosphere for all. Strategic hurdles in the company’s informal networks such as holes, irregular communication styles, bowties and more can all be overcome in this way (Krackhardt & Hanson, 1993, p. 111). 

An original leader is a resourceful leader. Growing first from one’s own experiences, one discovers the value of authenticity and confidence in one’s self. A leader able to read into the capabilities of his own soul to grow, change, and exceed is more likely to believe in other’s abilities as well. Through their transparency and openness, they are able to flex to demands while maintaining their integrity. Internal networks and effective team building also flow naturally from the original leader’s example thus inspiring greater performance everywhere.

References

Garfield, J., & Stanton, K. (2005). Building effective teams in real time. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/product/building-effective-teams-in-real-time/U0511A-PDF-ENG

George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A., & Mayer, D. (2007). Discovering your authentic leadership. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2007/02/discovering-your-authentic-leadership

Krackhardt, D., & Hanson, J. (1993). Informal Networks: The Company Behind the Chart. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1993/07/informal-networks-the-company-behind-the-chart

Pritchett, B. (2014). Emerson’s “self-reliance” and the ethics of authority. The Partially Examined Life. Retrieved from https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2014/09/26/emersons-self-reliance-and-the-ethics-of-authenticity/

Wagner, S., Ullrich, K., & Transchel, S. (2014). The game plan for aligning the organization. Business Horizons, 57(2), 189-201. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2013.11.002