As the national and even global economy crashes around us, I often find myself thinking about leadership and the woeful lack thereof.  Much of my learning in the past decade through the Harvard connection, the National Superintendent’s Roundtable connection, and my work with the CT Center for School Change has been about leadership. Recently I was asked what quote would I like to share about leadership.  The one I chose comes by way of the international systems consultant and former colleague of Nobel economist Russell Ackoff at the Wharton School at the Un. of PA.  Jamshid Gharagidaghi said in his book, Systems Thinking, that leadership is the ability to influence, not to have all the answers.

That is actually a freeing concept for someone who is in a leadership position.  To Influence seems a possibility; to have all the answers seems beyond comprehension.  Traditionally, however, leadership has been viewed by many as the leader being omnipotent, or at least acting that way with eveyone else in the organization playing along.

Not too long ago I heard former Senator Gary Hart speak about leadership at a meeting in Groton. His message was intriguing, and as I listened I realized that I agreed with him wholeheartedly. Much of what I am going to write was expressed by Senator Hart at that meeting.

He said that leadership was composed of three parts.  They are as follows:

  • The person must be forward thinking and have the ability to anticipate the future.  A true leader is not just concerned about today and the short-term but scans the horizon for trends that are developing so that the future can be visualized.  One doesn’t need an eight ball to anticipate the future, but one does need to pay attention to the trends.
  • A real leader, once the future is forecast, will ask the question about what must be done to formulate policies for the circumstances that will arise once that future is realized.  It’s not enough just to predict what will happen–or interpret the trends.  It is essential that one figures out what must be done about it once the anticipated situation arrives.
  • Then the leader must communicate and explain to all the constituencies what the anticipated future is as well as how we can prepare for it.  The constituencies must understand what is going to happen and why the preparation is necessary.  In other words, the communication is necessary for the constituencies to accept the change that must occur prior to the advent of the new reality. The transformational leader also plans for his/her exit.  The leader demonstrates a willingness to train the leaders of the organization who will follow, therefore preparing the organization for his/her departure. Training future leaders assures no break in the work or culture of the organization.

We are currently living in another revolutionary time.  Globalization, Information/technology, erosion of the nation/state bargain (citizens giving up independence for protection) as evidenced by the events of 9-11, and the new media have all contributed to these revolutionary times, as have the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, threat of pandemics, and global climate change.  None of these situations or events can be solved by a single nation, nor by war.

The highest level of leadership is transformational.  If a transformational president is elected next month, he will undoubtedly work to create a 21st Century economy rather than resurrect and repair a 20th Century one.  He will undoubtedly work to create a new internationalism rather than try to strengthen the unilateral hegemony currently in vogue.  A transformational leader might create an international environmental agency, an international atomic energy force, and an international health agency which would align foreign policy more with the wave of the future than the past.

As Senator Hart said, “The first step toward adapting is thinking differently.”

The ideas expressed above about leadership go far beyond international consultants and former senators.  They apply to municipal leaders and school superintendents as much as they apply to Wall Street tycoons and presidents. Transformational leadership looks beyond next year.  It predicts the needs of the future by reading the current trends and communicating the need to change existing policies and create new policies and practices to be prepared for what’s next. Short-term thinkers pander to those unwilling to participate in complex thinking. In so doing they short change all of us.