March
brought with it International Women’s Day and, in the United States, the
national celebration of Women’s History Month.
I found myself reflecting on the inspired leadership of those that we
have honored over the years in TIAW – those World of Difference
Award-winners who have literally moved mountains in terms of women’s
economic empowerment. These women are natural
leaders; they know exactly who they are, what needs to be done, took action and
were consistent to the core in their character.
Leadership
is grounded on character, which is developed by incorporating desirable
behaviors into habits to the point where these behaviors become natural to
us. What are the ‘desirable
behaviors’? I think the minimum list
includes patience, kindness, humility, respectfulness, selflessness, honesty
and commitment. Character provides the
substance behind the servant leader; indeed, he/she cannot have trust and
authenticity without it. Take a look at
this list of five characteristics of the servant leader developed by author James
Autry:
- Be authentic by always showing your
real self
- Be vulnerable by being honest with
your feelings
- Be accepting, which is not necessarily
agreeing or approving
- Be present and fully participating in
every conversation and encounter
- Be useful, understanding this is the
very foundation of service
The
connection between behavior and effective leadership is compelling. Does this mean leaders are perfect? No, I don’t believe they are, but I do
believe that they are perfectly consistent in character. A favorite quotation comes from Robert K.
Cooper who said so eloquently “no one expects you to be perfect – only genuine
and honest. And so it is with the
notable men and women who have the courage to find themselves, to tell the
truth about who they are, the mistakes they have made, the dreams they hold
dear and what they’re most concerned about.”
Let
your leadership rise with your character.
Be honest about the character habits you know you need to cultivate and
then deploy your self-discipline to create those habits. You will soon find yourself unconsciously
competent with these new behaviors, and your natural leadership will
emerge. The servant leadership you have
cultivated can now help create meaning and purpose for others, as eloquently
posited by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970 essay “The Servant as Leader”:
“Do those served grow as persons; do they, while
being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely
themselves to become servants?”
Your
character is the greatest single factor shaping the culture of the company or
organization you lead. It will manifest
itself in the values of your employees or staff quicker than anything else you
may intend or direct, or any policy manual you may write. These values become the context in which you
and/or your employees work every day.
They shoulder with you the responsibility to carry out the mission and
achieve the vision you intend. Equip
them with a sure foundation by being a leader of character and service that
they are sure to model.
Lisa
Kaiser Hickey
President,
TIAW