Good Leaders
Are Good Actors: Using “Situational Leadership” to Manage
By Lee
Froschheiser
On June 5, 1944, just hours before D-Day was to begin,
General Dwight Eisenhower paid a
visit to the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne. He
walked among the men, shaking hands, patting them on their backs,
cracking jokes and boosting morale. In his pocket, however, he
carried a prepared message, taking full responsibility for the
mission’s possible failure. He expected the casualty rate to climb
as high as 70 percent, yet the decision to move forward with the
plan had been made. Late that evening, the future president saluted
each plane as it roared off the runway. And then he cried.
Eisenhower knew so many of those brave soldiers, whom he’d praised
and pumped up just hours earlier that day, would never return. At
that very moment in time, a sacrifice was in the making.
This story provides a classic example of how good leaders
must be good actors, specifically proficient in what’s called
“situational leadership.” Plain and simple, situational leadership
means having the skills and understanding to assess a scenario
you’re facing and manage it with the right leadership style.
Considering that there are three basic types of leadership —
authoritative, participative and hands-on — a good leader acts in
the moment, choosing the best style for the challenge at hand.
Situational leaders are good actors because they know how to
adapt their leadership style. They can mask fear, panic and worry
with a great sense of self-confidence both in themselves as well as
those they must inspire and motivate. But to assume the role, they
must become great believers in whatever leadership approach they’ve
chosen. And, they must exude extreme self-confidence as they reflect
that decision.
Like good actors, good leaders “become” the character in that
moment, and their success depends greatly on the purity of their
belief. If they don’t believe in what they are doing and the type of
leadership role they’ve adopted, they’ll come across as a fake.
Ironic but true, good acting is one of the strategies good leaders
use to communicate with credibility, build trust among their people,
and motivate others. Had Eisenhower cried in front of the troops
that fateful summer day or shared the message in his pocket, the
consequences of D-Day could have been quite different. Instead, he
put on his poker face, saving the tears for a more private,
appropriate moment.
Good Leaders and
Good Actors Aren’t Simply Born:
If you’re in the camp of believing that good leaders are made, not simply
born, it’s important to note that situational leaders possess key
characteristics, which are essentially the qualities of a great
leader. In addition to confidence, there are 11 other attributes of
leadership, which include: clear vision, integrity, empathy, sense
of humor, humility, passion, courage, style, and the ability to
recognize potential in others, develop trust and encourage
excellence. Some of these attributes might be innate, but many good
leaders find they must develop at least some of these qualities.
Doing so comes with time, experience, failure, success, coaching and
mentoring, and a genuine desire to develop leadership qualities.
For instance, while there’s nothing wrong with reading books
on the subject of leadership, consider reading books about great
leaders, or make a list of effective qualities in the leaders
you personally know. Adopt some of their ways, test them out, and
see what works. While good leaders actively study and prepare for
their role as such, they also make great strides by getting the
necessary experience, e.g., climbing the chain of command and taking
on greater leadership responsibilities.
Coaching and mentoring clearly supports leadership growth,
but good leaders and good actors must also develop a strong sense of
self-awareness. Understanding shortcomings and strengths provides a
launch pad for improvement and, hopefully, excellence. In becoming a
good leader, or good actor, it’s likely that you’ll have to work on
issues around “emotional intelligence.” Use 360-degree evaluation to
discover how effective your leadership style is, and, notably how
you communicate. That’s because good actors know that when it comes
to delivering a message, 7 percent of it is the content of the
message itself, 38 percent is your voice tone and 55 percent is
about the visual presentation, which includes a self-confident
persona. So how you sound, look and carry yourself makes up 93
percent of what goes into being an effective communicator — a
critical component to leadership success.
Playing the Role
Throughout the Tough Times:
It was at a dinner party just prior to World War II that
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sharing friendly words
with Orson Welles, whose career as a
famous actor, film director, writer and producer was just starting
to take off at that time. Welles was seated next to the 32nd
president of the United States, possibly discussing the serious
events of the day or chatting about Welles’ radio adaptation of
War of the Worlds.
Regardless, the conversation inspired Roosevelt to lean over and
whisper, “Mr. Welles, you and I are the two best actors in
America.” To run the country, arguably one of the greatest
presidents of all times confessed that he had to act, and not just
act but be one of the best in the national show. Roosevelt led the
country through an extremely rough period in United States history
in which there was a great degree of uncertainty and economic peril
not unlike that of today. We are, in fact, in a time of war and
recession.
And still, in these more contemporary, yet very tough
economic times, great leadership requires great actors. It’s about
company presidents, CEOs and managers weathering the hardships with
a sense of calm. When the opportunity warrants, it’s also about
making the choice to throw an occasional fit or communicate
frustration, disappointment and even anger in a planned, controlled
sort of way.
The role that’s played depends on the situation at hand, yet
to evolve into a truly good leader, you must learn to thrive in the
moment presented, managing it with purposeful grace. Doing so is a
talent, for sure, but it’s also a practice, one that most any
impassioned individual can learn given time, experience,
self-belief, and a genuine confidence in this “art” as a business
strategy.
Twelve Attributes of a Leader
1.
Clear vision
2.
Recognizes the potential in others
3.
Develops trust
4.
Encourages excellence
5.
Integrity
6.
Empathy
7.
Sense of humor
8.
Humility
9.
Passion
10. Confidence
11. Courage
12. Style
Read other articles and learn more about
Lee Froschheiser.
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