on Leadership … by Steven Davis, CAE

Leadership … Continued Discussion – 1/14/09

The quote that I would like to discuss in this post comes from Mike Molino, who is the president of the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association. The quote appeared in the “CEO to CEO” column in the December 2008 issue of Associations Now, which is the publication of the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership. The column in question was devoted to the subject of “What is the most effective leadership style?” In his comments Mr. Molino succinctly stated that “Great leaders adapt their styles.” He went on to point out that “no leader can be effective if they adapt their principles.”

I think his comments are right on. There are times when a leader has to come down hard; there are times when it is much more important to soft-peddle through a situation; on occasion a leader has to be a cheer leader and morale builder; and, there are yet other times when a leader needs to be inspirational in challenging his or her followers to boldly go where no one else has gone. Leaders have to be able to adapt their approach and affect.

And that brings up a related quote from Warren G. Bennis, “Leaders create shared meaning, have a distinctive voice, have the capacity to adapt, and have integrity,” which appeared in his book On Becoming a Leader. Here, Bennis points to adaptability in general as an important quality in leadership.

And that surfaces yet another quote from Mr. Bennis, from his Harvard Business Review article “The Seven Ages of the Leader,” in which he stated that “The ruling quality of leaders, adaptive capacity, is what allows true leaders to make the nimble decisions that bring success.”

All three quotes taken together, leaders need to be able to adapt to their surroundings, both in regard to what they do and how they do it. Adaptability, especially while being singed by the flames of controversy or an issue, is an essential ingredient in the recipe for success. Great leaders re-evaluate their roadmaps during the journey, changing or modifying these as they go. They spend less time fixated on the immovable objects in the road and instead work with the given environment to accomplish the journey. They maintain their focus on the desired end result and find ways in which to achieve their goals.

Author Cross-references:

Mike Molino: None

Warren G. Bennis: Also see blog 2/6/09, 5/1/09, 8/17/09, 11/11/09, 12/5/09, 2/18/10, 2/24/10

Key Word Cross-reference:

Adaptability/Change: Also see blog 4/20/09, 1/6/10

Ethical/Principled: Also see blog 6/5/09

Tags: Leadership

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