Great Leaders & Stewardship

I am in full agreement with Phil's sentiments in respect of what makes a great leader. The leaders we read about in the press are by nature attention seekers. The model being that the leader espouses the values of the organisation they head. They are media savvy and getting positive column inches is part of the remit. Some CxOs fall into the belief that they are celebrities and so become more focused on the external nature of their role than the internal leadership elements. Possibly the king makers need to rethink the job specification in respect of 'leader as media magnet'.

The reporting requirements of most big organisations encourages a 'results by quarter end' mindset. Not only does this discourage strategic thinking it encourages the CEO to focus on 'quick wins' in terms of company performance. He or she is thus more likely to trade the needs of their people for the needs of the shareholders. Some might argue that this is rightly so. But it is a high risk approach, particularly if such an approach leads to key staff exiting the organisation (shortly followed by the so called leader).

For me stewardship is thinking beyond one's own ego. To be quietly focused on initiatives today that will benefit the organisation in the future, perhaps beyond their tenure. A subsequent leader will enjoy the benefits of this effort. But a true leader knows that and takes quiet satisfaction regardless of who takes the glory.