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Improving the Quality of Leadership

© Copyright 2004 Craig Cochran
Craig.cochran@edi.gatech.edu

Leadership is the genesis of everything that takes place within an organization. From

idea to launch, from growth to maturity, from decline to demise, leadership drives every

phase. Nothing is more important to the organization’s success. Despite this fact, the

quality of leadership in many organizations is poor, primarily because nobody truly

understands what it is and how it is practiced.

So what exactly is leadership? It is the process of influencing strategy, decisions,

activities, and personnel in order to better fulfill the organization’s mission. This

definition seems to imply that leadership is something that only a few people will have

the opportunity to practice, but that’s a narrow interpretation. Everybody has an

opportunity to influence these things at some level. The more people who practice

leadership, the stronger the organization becomes.

Leadership is composed of four basic elements. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll refer

to these elements as the Four Cs. Each of the elements must be present for true leadership

to be realized:

1. Clarity – Possessing a clear vision for the future

2. Communication –Able to communicate in an understandable way

3. Credibility – Being believable and worthy of trust in the eyes of others

4. Character – Having the inner qualities that facilitate true leadership.

Let’s examine each of these components, see what they really mean on a practical

level, and figure out how they can be practiced.

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Clarity

The world is a confusing place. There are countless variables and uncertainties that

cloud the horizon. A leader is able to sort through all the complications and paint a clear

picture of the future, though. A leader transforms confusion into clarity. As a result,

people become less anxious about the future and more confident about where the

organization is heading. The leader isn’t necessarily reducing uncertainty, but he is

focusing people on the most important aspects of the uncertainty, thus better positioning

the organization for the future’s challenges.

A leader’s clarity reveals many of the following to the organization:

 Unique ways of securing resources

 Opportunities for the organization, and connections between opportunities

 Identification of threats and the associated risks

 Prediction of competitor actions

 Internal strengths, and the way to best leverage them

 Sober comprehension of internal weaknesses

 Alliances that are helpful to the organization

 Interpretation of events and how they truly affect the organization

 Objective analysis of internal performance

Clarity is an analytical process. In other words, it is generated by brain power, as

opposed to interpersonal skills or some other process. True leaders who possess clarity

are very smart and rationale thinkers, because they can see relationships and solutions

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where other people only see confusion. Sure, leaders may receive expert advice on

various topics, but the leader is ultimately the person who draws the pieces of

information together into a coherent whole. The leader’s clarity drives the strategy of the

organization.

The analytical strength that is required for clarity can be developed, just as athletic

strength can be developed. The sources are the same for both: practice, hard work, and

discipline. An athlete who wants to run a 5 minute mile will undergo a methodical

training program so that his legs are strong enough to accomplish the goal. A leader who

wants to possess clarity will also undergo a methodical training program. In the case of

the leader, it’s the brain that is being strengthened and conditioned, not the legs. The

leader’s training program never ends, either. As long as a leader hopes to provide clarity

to the organization, he must continually sharpen his analytical skills.

How can analytical powers and clarity be strengthened? Here are some good steps:

 Avoid passive activities like sitting in front of a television. Passive activities

slow down brain activity and encourage analytical laziness.

 Read a wide range of writing, and avoid falling into an ideological rut. If

you’ve just finished reading your third Bill O’Reilly book in a row, you’re

probably in an ideological rut. Seek out books that don’t necessarily mirror

your own thinking. Challenge yourself.

 Always question pronouncements of fact, especially when made by people in

authority. Leaders always find out the facts for themselves and draw their own

conclusions. Skepticism and curiosity are your best friends.

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 Be in a constant state of learning. This doesn’t necessarily mean taking formal

classes, just trying to learn new things and become better at things you already

know. This keeps your mind limber and strong.

 Be physically fit. Physical fitness reduces stress and improves clarity. Mental

fitness and physical fitness are closely related for most living creatures.

 Be an active listener, digesting what you hear on a real-time basis. Simply

listening to what people say can provide a great deal of clarity in itself. People

who want to impress others do a lot of talking; people who are leading do a

little talking and a lot of listening.

 Pursue creative outlets of expression. Whether you enjoy oil painting or hedge

trimming, be creative in your recreational activities. This creativity will

influence your clarity during normal work hours.

 Insert yourself into situations that are unfamiliar and/or uncomfortable. Learn

to conquer your fear of the unknown. Leaders are masters of dissecting the

unknown and making sense of it, and they don’t scare easily.

Get into the habit of analyzing facts from a unique perspective, drawing conclusions,

and making decisions. Do not fall into the trap of being paralyzed by the risks and

challenges facing the organization. Think with uniqueness and clarity, and make a

decision. When a decision turns out to be wrong, reverse course. Frankin Delano

Roosevelt said, “It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly

and try another. But above all, try something.” These are wise words for all prospective

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leaders. As long as a leader is a able to learn from a mistake, thus sharpening their clarity,

then the mistake had value.

Communication

Leadership and communication go hand in hand. In fact, the best leaders are often

considered to be great communicators. This is no mistake. Communication is the vehicle

by which the leader’s clarity is shared with the rest of the organization. Clarity is

meaningless if it can’t be shared.

The most effective manner that a leader can communicate is in person. When the

leader can be seen personally delivering the message, it has a very powerful effect. There

is no doubt about the leader’s beliefs and commitments when the communication comes

directly out of the leader’s mouth. Written forms of communication, such as policies,

declarations, memos, and emails can be effective, but generally only as a backup to live

communication coming directly from the leader.

Communication skills are learned, just as all other aspects of leadership can be

learned and developed. Effective communication by a leader is recognizable by a number

of distinct attributes:

 Smooth, but not rehearsed. The communication is delivered in a way that is

smooth and flowing, but which doesn’t seem to be overly practice. A

rehearsed style often comes across as stiff, bureaucratic, and suspicious. Does

this mean that communication shouldn’t be rehearsed at all? No. In fact, a

leader should always practice and sharpen his communication skills. Part of

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that practice is the attempt to seem as natural as possible when

communicating, though.

 Appealing directly to each individual. The leader recognizes that an

organization is an assembly of individuals. Each individual hearing the

communication will inevitably attempt to understand how the message relates

to them on a personal level. The leader will facilitate the each individual’s

understanding with specific examples of why a particular course of action or

decision is important. There will be no confusion about the relevance of the

message on an individual level when a skilled communicator delivers it.

 Exhibiting true belief. The leader must really believe in what he is saying.

Just as the leader appeals to the individuals in the audience with specific

examples, he will also provide specific examples of why he believes so

strongly in his message. The message becomes personal, delivered directly

from the heart. Anyone experiencing the communication will simultaneously

understand why the message is relevant to them and to the leader.

 Free of errors. Nobody is perfect, but leaders should get their facts straight

before they begin speaking. The communication should be gramatically

correct, logically coherent, and factual. Do so-called leaders deal exclusively

in facts? Unfortunately not. This is one of the reasons that leadership fails

within so many organizations. A wise leader will always enlist of the help of

competent proof-readers and fact-checkers before engaging communication.

 Concise. Fidel Castro, the Cuban dictator, often gave speeches that lasted for

over two hours. While I admire the man’s endurance, who could possibly

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listen to a two hour speech? A smart leader keeps his message streamlined and

concise. It’s worth noting that Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, often

thought to be one of the most significant communications in American

history, is less than 300 words long. Now that’s concise.

Communication skills are relatively easy to develop. Unlike clarity, which is a quality

that some people never develop, communication skills simply take practice. Study

communicators who you particularly admire. Think about the attributes which make them

great communicators. What traits of theirs can you cultivate in your own

communications? Take every opportunity to practice in front of groups, despite how

uncomfortable that is for most people.

Credibility

Credibility, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. It’s all about perceptions. One

person may perceive a leader to be very credible, while a different person may perceive

the exact same leader to lack any credibility whatsoever. Neither determination may have

any basis in reality, but both are legitimate because they are perceived as such.

Perceptions are facts in the mind of the perceiver.

Leaders must acknowledge the capricious nature of credibility. It is impossible to be

credible to all individuals simultaneously, so wise leaders will try to strike a middle

ground of credibility appealing to a wide audience. Despite the fact that every individual

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has their own formula for what constitutes credibility, there are two determinants that are

fairly universal: 1) Results, and 2) Behavior. Let’s take a look at both of these.

Results

Nothing builds credibility like positive results. Leaders who have a demonstrated

record of success inspire confidence and trust in those they are trying to lead. Positive

results are most impressive when they relate to the endeavor that the leader is currently

operating within (business, sports, government, etc.), but they don’t have to. The range of

results that may lend credibility to a leader are almost limitless: new products developed,

percentage of gained market share, number of games won, goals scored, yards of offense,

enemy planes shot down, donations received, criminals successfully prosecuted,

legislation passed, or any number of other things. It is not uncommon for leaders to cross

over from one field to another. An example of this is when a business leader wins elected

office and becomes a political leader. Often, the business leader has no political

experience whatsoever, but his success in business lends him credibility in the eyes of

many people.

Past results will get a leader in the door, so to speak, but it’s the ability to get results

on an ongoing basis that sustains a leader’s credibility. The old cliché, “What have you

done for me lately” certainly holds true. Leaders must constantly take action that

produces positive results. Not only must leaders produce positive results, but they must

let everyone know about them. Positive results are meaningless if nobody takes notice.

Leaders must continually ‘blow their horns,’ and the horns of their subordinates, so that

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everyone understands that the leader is able to get results. Communication of results

shouldn’t smack of bragging. It should be low-key, factual, and generous in its

acknowledgement of the roles of others. The point of communication is not to build the

ego of the leader, of course. The point is to maintain the leader’s credibility and make it

easier for him to continue getting results.

Behavior

The behavior of a leader is being constantly scrutinized. Their every move is analyzed

to detect flaws and errors that cast doubt on their credibility. Though this is probably not

fair, it is a fact that leaders must understand and manage. Leaders are held to a higher

standard than everybody else.

People obviously have vastly different standards for what constitutes appropriate and

inappropriate behavior. Some of the behaviors that can damage credibility include the

following:

 Commission of crimes. Sometimes even being charged of a crime is enough to

damage credibility.

 Sexual indiscretion. This includes extramarital sex, canoodling, aggressive

flirting, suggestive remarks, and consumption of pornography.

 Drug usage

 Excessive alcohol consumption. Sometimes even the consumption of any

alcohol can harm credibility.

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 Offensive or insensitive language. This may include dirty jokes, profanity,

derogatory statements, insults, racist remarks, etc.

 Self-serving decisions and actions

 Telling falsehoods and spreading misinformation

 Not treating everyone in a consistent, fair manner

 Inability to make decisions

 Irreverent, blasphemous, and sacrilegious actions.

 Tattoos, body piercing, and unusual hairstyles

 Frequent emotional outbursts

 Unorthodox hobbies

 Unusual viewpoints

 Flamboyant dress

Clearly, not all of these behaviors are on an equal plane. Some are legal issues, others

are moral or ethical issues, and some are simply issues of personal choice in a free

society. They all can compromise credibility in the eyes of some people, however.

Leaders must make a personal decision as to whether they will behave in a way that

might harm their credibility. The smart decision is to avoid all behavior that may damage

credibility, but some of these behaviors are nothing more than private issues. Keep in

mind that even private issues can impact credibility.

Character

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Character is the set of inner qualities that guide and motivate the leader. It enables the

leader to choose the right fights, make the right decisions, and ultimately be successful.

While credibility is outward-focused—dealing in the fuzzy realm of other people’s

perceptions—character is inward focused. Character is something that only the leader and

his closest confidants can really know. Character is the essence of the individual.

Like the other elements of leadership, character can be practiced and improved. It is

the most difficult element to change, though, since much of what makes up character is

hard-wired into the psyche of the leader. Many leaders act upon character qualities

without even knowing it. Character resides in the mind and the heart, operating on

conscious and subconscious levels within the leader.

Character is composed of three basic components:

 Leading for the right reasons;

 Acceptance of responsibility;

 Humility

Let’s take a look at each one of these and explore how someone might utilize the

concepts in pursuit of their own leadership development:

Leading for the right reasons

People have a wide range of reasons for wanting to lead. Not all those reasons are

particularly good, though. The best leaders want to lead because they believe they can

raise their organizations to new levels of success, and in doing so, benefit all

organizational members. Exceptional leadership is outward focused. In other words, what

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the leader can do for the organization, instead of what personal gain the leader extract

from it. Leadership is a selfless undertaking. Of course, leaders are often well-

compensated for the efforts, but the compensation is not why great leaders take the reigns

of their organization. They do it because they’re dedicated to excellence and the

improvement of the lives of those around them. Does this sound contrary to the way

many leaders embrace leadership? Unfortunately, it is.

Consider some of the right and wrong reasons for wanting to be a leader:

The Right Reasons to Lead

 Carry out a positive vision for the organization

 Reduce organizational risk

 Ensure long term survival

 Make improvements

 Repel competitors

 Remove obstacles

 Utilize clarity and creativity

 Guide the evolution of the organization’s mission

 Hold yourself to unimpeachable standards

 Challenge yourself to be the best you can possibly be

 Provide a positive future for your family

 Be a role model

The Wrong Reasons to Lead

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 Stroke your ego

 Impress people

 Get rich

 Settle scores and act on grudges

 Fulfill a sense of entitlement or inevitability

 Elevate your social status

 To enjoy special perks and privileges

 Benefit a small sub-set of the organization

 Help your friends at the expense of the organization

 Carry out extreme ideological philosophies that are contrary to the

organization’s mission

 Attract members of the opposite sex

Only the leader himself truly knows the reasons for his desire to lead. Other people

can speculate on the reasons, but the truth lies inside the leader’s head. Each leader must

look within himself and honestly appraise their own motivations. If his motivations fall

into the “wrong reasons” column, the leader must seriously evaluate their viability as a

true leader. Is this likely to happen in most cases? Of course not. The good news is that

many of these motivations will manifest themselves in the leader’s behavior, and their

credibility will be damaged. The cumulative effect of leading for the wrong reasons is

catastrophic for the leader himself.

Acceptance of responsibility

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There is no greater responsibility than to be a leader. Many people and their families

rely on a leader and his ability to do the right things. The responsibility is awesome. A

successful leader understands and accepts this responsibility. This responsibility can even

cause the leader to make decisions that don’t necessarily benefit the leader himself, but

which benefit the organization as a whole. Leadership can sometimes mean self sacrifice.

An eye-opening exercise is for the leader to make a list of all the people who depend

on him. Make the list exhaustive: employees and their families, suppliers, customers,

stakeholders. The results are usually startling. Any leader who is not humbled by this

exercise has not fully grasped the depth of the responsibility.

A leader is not only responsible for the people he leads, he is also responsible for his

own actions. Taking responsibility for one’s own actions would seem to be common

sense. Many leaders do not embrace this responsibility, however. The reason is that a

leader can develop a detachment from the ethics of his own actions. In the leader’s mind,

he becomes bigger than life. The ethics of his actions become less important than the

pursuit of his objectives. The only problem is that failing to act in an ethical way will

eventually derail the leader and his ability to lead. This provides a link to our next

subject: humility.

Humility

Leaders are not perfect, all-knowing creatures. Even the best leaders have flaws like

everybody else. This is a fact, though you wouldn’t know it from the way that many

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leaders act. They are showered with money, perks, privileges, and praise, and they begin

to think that they must be perfect. This is when the trouble begins.

All leaders should have a healthy confidence in their abilities, balanced by a sober

understanding of their own failings. Even a leader’s strengths won’t shine every day of

the week. The leader is only a human, not a deity. Deities rise up into the clouds to look

down upon the world; leaders are stuck down here with the rest of us.

Leaders who lack humility will exhibit a number of dangerous traits:

 Denial of facts that run counter to the leader’s policies

 Reluctance to take advice

 Interpretation of data only in ways support their viewpoints

 Anger towards views that challenge their own

 Unwillingness to change course, even when evidence suggests the need

 Cultivation of “yes men,” who do nothing but agree with the leader

 Discouragement of chance-takers and an entrepreneurial spirit

 Willingness to lie and deceive in order to bolster their positions

 Inability to laugh at themselves (and its root cause: taking themselves too

seriously)

 Lack of accountability for their own behavior, on the grounds that they don’t

live by the same rules as everybody else.

A leader who lacks humility will eventually destroy the organization. In the short

term, they may propel the organization to outrageous heights, but inevitably the leader’s

hubris will cause him to crash back to the ground. My colleague Dr. Mark Mendenhall, of

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the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, refers to this phenomena as the Icarus

Paradox, after the figure of Greek mythology whose wax wings melt when he flies too

close to the sun. All leaders must fear the sun’s affects on their own wax wings.

A lack of humility is a poison that spreads from the leader throughout the entire

organization. Smart, independent-thinking people defect from the organization, and the

only ones left are “true believers” or people too tired to fight. The healthy dynamic of

dialogue and debate becomes extinct. The organization becomes stilted, inflexible, and

doomed.

Every leader and potential leader must guard against the tendency to feel he is a giant

among mere mortals. How can one do this? Luckily, the same activities that breed clarity

also tend to generate humility. The reason is that true wisdom, which is the pinnacle of

clarity, is an understanding of how little you really know. When you begin to perceive

that you really don’t know all there is to know, humility comes naturally.

The Journey to Leadership

Becoming a leader is a lifelong journey. It must be pursued with discipline,

persistence, and great personal strength. Grasping an understanding of the 4 Cs of

leadership—clarity, communication, credibility, and character—is one of the first steps.

Compare these concepts to the activities that you face on a day-to-day basis, and see how

they can be incorporated. If the 4 Cs are persistently practiced, you will grow into the role

of leader, and your organization will be that much more successful as a result.

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Craig Cochran is a project manager with the Center for International Standards &

Quality, part of Georgia Tech’s Economic Development Institute. He’s an RAB-certified

QMS lead auditor and the author of “Customer Satisfaction: Tools, Techniques and

Formulas for Success” and “The Continual Improvement Process: From Strategy to the

Bottom Line,” both available from Paton Press (www.patonpress.com). CISQ can be

reached at (800) 859-0968 or on the Web at www.cisq.gatech.edu.

© Copyright 2004 Craig Cochran