Do We Need Leaders?
If you’ve ever wondered whether and why we need leaders, consider what happens without them.
“The only things that happen naturally in an organization are friction, confusion, and malperformance. Everything else is the result of leadership.” Peter Drucker, renowned business visionary, leadership expert and management consultant
Until, and unless, one member of the organization, or group, steps up to resolve the friction, confusion and/or poor performance, the problems continue. That person is a leader, as defined by the fact that he, or she, is doing something to move the group forward to achieve a common goal.
Job 1
Job 1 for the leader, and his/her first move, is to identify a common goal. That move can take different forms, including:
- A question: “What can we do to end our confusion and gain clarity?”
- If the group is just starting out, or in a state of high conflict, asking a question may simply shift the conflict to a different topic
- A process suggestion: “Rather than talk over each other, let’s listen as each person states his understanding of our goal. Then let’s see if we can reach a consensus.”
- A directive:
“We’ve got to find a way to make this [canister] fit into that hole, using nothing but that.” (From Apollo 13, the movie]
After the leader makes his/her move, the group coalesces. Chaotic energy transforms into collective energy. The group becomes laser focused on achieving an outcome everyone agrees to, or is at least willing to work on. Watch this laser focus emerge in the scene below.
Many lists of varying lengths identify what leaders do, or should do. But first, and foremost the leader prevents, or ends, the naturally occurring chaos, conflict, and resulting under performance.
Job 1 – identifying and coalescing the group’s energy to achieve a common goal, is the first step in the leader’s mission to be a
Catalyst for the evolution of human kind
And that is one tall and worthy order.