Please do wander over to Rebelsatwork.com for my latest musings on being a corporate rebel. Here’s the link: The Rebel Life
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Please do wander over to Rebelsatwork.com for my latest musings on being a corporate rebel. Here’s the link: The Rebel Life
Posted in Change, Innovation, linkedin, Organizational Dynamics, Rebels/Heretics
Tagged Curly Hair
The other day I posted an observation on Twitter, which I’ve posted once or twice before, that yet again I had been reminded that Heroism is not a viable Leadership Strategy.
Someone asked me to say more.
I included the same statement a couple of years ago in my Lessons from a CIA Manager, but didn’t expound there either.
So what do I mean?
Leaders sometimes have to take heroic actions. The occasion calls for it. Nobody else can do what the leader must do. It my be as “simple” as telling a higher up that their preferred course of action is not advisable. Or it may require real physical courage, as can be the case on the field of battle.
But it strikes me that heroism, almost by definition, does not work as a longterm strategy. Even for military generals, leading from the front has been replaced by a more complex blend of leadership styles. This is the subject of military historian John Keegan’s excellent book, The Mask of Leadership, where he observes how the brave and really reckless heroism of Alexander the Great and even the Duke of Wellington has over the centuries been replaced by more measured leadership strategies.
Leaders in more quotidian situations, such as corporations, perhaps don’t see how they could ever be accused of heroic leadership. But I wold argue that they can fall into the trap rather easily.
What are some examples of heroic leadership behavior that can occur in any workplace?
Do any of these sound familiar?
Finally, the real problem with heroic leadership as a strategy is that it weakens the rest of the organization. Those who are led by heroism often fail to develop their own bravery. While a heroic leader on a winning streak can compensate for organizational weakness for a while, at some point he or she will falter and the organization will be worse off for it.
Check out my other website, rebelsatwork.com, for my latest post there where I discuss how heroism is also not an effective strategy for corporate and organizational rebels.
Posted in Leadership, linkedin, Organizational Dynamics