Are You Confused by Leadership?

One of the most difficult and confusing things about leadership is the leader is not the point. Leadership is not about you. A leader may be the catalyst to change things for the better. A leader may be the key to unlocking others’ potential. A leader may get praised for a job well done or criticized for the tough choices necessary to get those things done, but in the end, leadership is about service to something beyond your own ambition. 

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There is nothing wrong with ambition. Quite the contrary. The ambition to get better and achieve more can motivate us to tackle the tough problems, take the necessary risks, and stretch ourselves and those around us to learn and grow. There is nothing inherently wrong with looking around and striving for a promotion to increased responsibilities, influence and recognition. Leaders get off track when the desire for promotion, or for praise and recognition, becomes their purpose. Leaders get off track when their ambition to “get ahead” consumes their ambition to make a difference.

Think about someone you know who is focused first and foremost on climbing the next rung in the ladder. It doesn’t matter what the context is: big business, small business, not-for-profit, government or politics. Is this person likely to tackle a tough problem or play it safe? Is this person likely to bring up difficult issues, or tell people what they want to hear? Is this person challenging the status quo or do they tend to stick to the script and stay in their lane? Is this person focused on others or focused on themselves? Do they take credit for themselves or share credit with others? 

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We have often discussed the power of the status quo in this column. Teams and organizations of all kinds and sizes tend to major on preservation, rather than re-invention. We are all more comfortable with “the way things are.” On the one hand, when something works and is successful, it’s worth preserving. On the other hand, no organization is perfect, or operating at peak performance all the time. Not everything is working, and problems abound. Besides, change is happening all around us all the time at an accelerating pace, so change and re-invention are always required.

And change is always hard. Those who drive it always face criticism from those who would rather protect the status quo. Those who work to protect the status quo are frequently those who have succeeded in it. They have real power and position. They may hold the key to promotion. So, when a potential leader becomes consumed with getting ahead, they tend to shy away from the things that are necessary to make a difference. Getting praised feels like a safer route to the next step than inviting criticism. 

Many years ago, I had two subordinates. One “looked the part,” and was talented, capable and hard-working. They were also ambitious and made it clear they sought promotion. They were charming and confident. The other was “different,” but also talented, capable and hard-working. They were insecure and sometimes defensive as a result. They were challenging. They assumed they would not be promoted.

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In that particular organization, employees were evaluated based on their “potential” as well as their “performance. “Potential” was defined as the likelihood they could perform at the next level. “Performance” was defined as the results achieved at the current level. The first employee had historically been graded as “High Potential”: the second as “High Performance.” Everyone assumed “High Potential” would be promoted next. Everyone counted on “High Performance” to ask the tough questions and get the job done.

So many organizations work this way - either explicitly or implicitly. And so ambitious people read the signals. They “manage up.” They get so consumed by the job they want; they fail to apply their full capability to the job they have. And so, they miss their opportunity for leadership. 

I promoted “High Performance.” Why? Because they looked around and saw what needed to change. Because they focused on building a stronger team. Because they applied their energies to the problems in front of them. Because it wasn’t all about them. “High Potential” was striving for the next job. “High Performance” was leading in the current job. And every organization needs as many leaders as possible. 

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