Boringness: The Secret to Great Leadership?
Boringness: The Secret to Great Leadership
Like so many others Joel Stein imagined that all leaders should be inspirational speechmakers, and alpha-male yelling movie stars and sports players. However, in this months Harvard Business Review Stein questions his preconceptions of What Defines a Great Leader? Stein spent time with a range of leaders ( fire chiefs, army captains, Boy Scout troop leaders) for his new book – Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity, and learned that his vision of what makes a good leader was all wrong.
How did these real-life leaders differ?
- Many where quiet listeners who let other people make most of the decisions.
- They weren’t particularly charismatic. Or funny.
- They weren’t the toughest guys in the pack.
- They didn’t have a Clintonian need to be liked, or a Patton-like intensity.
- They were, on the whole, a little boring.
How do they lead?
- Stein’s leaders didnt weigh each decision based on a desire to keep their team happy, or to be fair to each person.
- They had a way of doing things they believed was right (they don’t waver – they follow the rules)
- They run a clean, orderly house so the team can respond with military precision.
- They understand that they arent the most important person.
Inspiring people through your personality is a risky, exhausting endeavor. When people know they are doing things exactly right they seem to be both proud and assured, and will do anything for their leader. Great leaders have a deep belief in their mission, and this makes other people believe in that mission.
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