The ever present question is… “What” is leadership?
At the beginning of our Leadership Academy programs
and workshops, the very first question that I typically open up for discussion
is… What is leadership? To no
surprise, the opinions about what leadership “is” are as varied as the number
of people present in the room.
The factual reality is that leadership is in
application invariably one thing… “situational”.
You need only think back to the countless number of true war stories, books and
movies that cite the bravery and leadership of everyday soldiers, airmen,
sailors and marines whose combat unit was cornered and in the ensuing
firefight, their ranking officers were taken out.
Yet, in the midst of these horrendous
situations, there were ordinary service men and woman who stepped forward to take
charge of the few remaining troops and then lead them on to heroic victory
against overwhelming odds and circumstances.
Although these courageous individuals were
without appropriate leadership development training, prerequisite skills or
experience, they did possess the key attribute that was required in their respective
circumstances… a situational “mindset”.
These individuals weren’t willing to lose the
battle. Rather, they were willing to step up, step out and immediately take
charge of the situation. They had a mindset that was determined to find a way
to protect their comrades and then win the conflict no matter what.
This is exactly why every day citizens run into
burning buildings, pull people out of burning automobiles and off of train
tracks. They respond to the situation at hand and do what absolutely has to be
done without ever thinking twice or blinking an eye. They are willing and comfortable
about taking on the situation that is in front of them at that given moment.
Leadership in its truest sense is ultimately
not about titles, positions or even invested authority from an organization..
Authentic leadership is about being willing to make a difference no matter what
situation confronts you, your people and your organization..
Are the people in your organization who hold
positions of responsibility as supervisors, managers, department heads or members
of your executive team appropriately prepared to effectively respond to the
“situations” that will inevitably unfold within your organization on a day to
day basis?
More
importantly, does your organization keep reliving the same situations over and
over again?
While many of the common situations in most
organizations do tend be repetitive, the more crucial situations are the ones
that are unanticipated and occur suddenly without warning.
Consider the situation that James F. Parker was
unexpectedly confronted with after only a few months on the job as the new CEO
of Southwest Airlines… the tragic events of September 11, 2001. In a mere
instant, all airlines in the U.S were immediately grounded for many days, while
stranding hordes of passengers and flight crews wherever they randomly happened
to be at that given moment.
While the remainder of the airline industry
simply sat idly by and waited for further instructions from the government. CEO
Parker immediately directed the staff of Southwest Airlines to do everything
possible to address the needs of Southwest’s passengers. Among numerous
activities, Southwest Airlines employees even went so far as to take their
customers bowling and to the movies.
In another situation when an elderly woman’s
son who was to drive from Tucson, Arizona to meet his mom in Phoenix was
seriously injured in a car crash, while making every attempt to so, Southwest was
unsuccessful in booking her passage on another airline, as Southwest didn’t fly
into Tucson. When the women landed in Phoenix, a Southwest employee without
hesitation went to the employee parking lot, got his car and proceeded to drive
the elderly woman over 100 miles to Tucson and her injured son.
What CEO Parker successfully helped his people
to understand is that there is a direct correlation between leadership and
customer service as they are both “situational”. Moreover, it is this level of
comprehension for what leadership “is” that has earned Southwest the reputation
for always putting the customer first… no matter what the situation.
As your valued resource partner, we
stand ready to assist your organization in developing its situational
leadership and helping your people to… Learn more… Do more… Become more.
Copyright © 2015 Developing Forward
| Thomas H. Swank, CBC
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