In this post I want to discuss a quote from Henry David Thoreau that I feel represents one of the keys to being able to lead others successfully. It is not flashy, not even poetic; it is a simple statement of what makes almost all of us tick … of what makes us want to follow another, to embrace a strategy, and to want to make a difference. The quote is as follows, ” The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when someone asked me what I thought and attended to my answer.”
In order t0 lead there must be those who would follow our lead. But it is difficult to want to follow someone’s lead if you do not feel that you are valued … that you can contribute and make a difference. To be sure there are many other reasons for wanting to jump onto someone’s bus, but I feel strongly that there is no greater reason than that stated above. An effective leader is an inclusive leader … someone who proactively seeks out the thinking of others and seriously considers that input. And for that would-be follower, there is no greater enticement to jump onto that person’s bus than to know that your input is valued and will contribute in some way (even if just to be genuinely considered) to decisions made.
This is a win – win thing that I am talking about. For the leader, input, especially when diverse, truly will paint a clearer picture of what is real or will likely materialize … thereby enabling clearer decisions to be made. For the follower, knowing that you are part of what is happening and that to a degree you are invested in decision making that may even help to determine your own fate is central to feeling that you are making a difference. We all need to be needed, whether we admit it or not. The inclusive leader focuses on that need and continuously nurtures a response to it.
But there is another element of this reality that is absolutely crucial. Such leaders must understand and believe that they do not possess all of the answers and that absolutely anyone within the ranks could have at their fingertips that critical piece of information that can lead to a better decision. If their belief in this is shallow or non existent and input received is input quickly discarded, disenchantment will soon follow. People understand when a request for input is genuine, and when it is not … that input will soon cease to surface.
I have experienced association presidents who listen to input, seem to consider it carefully and even embrace it, and who repeatedly rejoin the conversation the next day with a brand new direction arrived at overnight. I have also worked with executive directors and other senior staff who seek-out the input of others but, likewise, seem to consistently revert to their own thinking in the end. Independent epiphanies most certainly can occur and individuals in leadership roles will often have the better view of things, but when there is consistency attached to going down your own road while leaving the input of others on the sides of those roads … this is when those below the leadership ranks begin to lose their enthusiasm to participate. And, when that happens, team energy and synergy suffer attrition as well.
Leaders grow those around them by believing in them and involving them. In the process, they grow their own effectiveness.
Author Cross-reference:
Henry David Thoreau: None
Key Word Cross-reference:
Authentic/Believable/Genuine: Also see posts 1/2/09, 1/28/09, 2/18/09, 2/25/09, 3/16/09, 12/5/09, 1/4/10, 2/24/10, 5/26/10
Inclusive/Open/Honest/Transparent: Also see posts 12/12/08, 4/20/09, 5/1/09, 7/7/09, 8/3/09, 11/11/09, 1/29/10, 2/24/10, 5/26/10
Listening: Also see posts 8/3/09, 9/9/09, 1/29/10, 3/29/10
Mentoring/Nurturing/Developing: Also see posts 12/8/08, 12/12/08, 1/13/09, 2/6/09, 2/28/09, 6/5/09, 7/7/09, 9/9/09, 9/15/09, 12/5/09, 1/6/10, 3/29/10
Tags: Leadership
on Leadership ... by Steven Davis, CAE 
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