Essence of Leadership

When Josh Myers approached me a couple of years ago about writing an article on leadership for FLD Focus, I put him off. I told him my schedule as CEO of German American made it difficult to find the time to draft the article. The truth is, because the experiences and skills which define leadership are unique to each individual, I was hesitant to share what is only my personal perspective on the essence of leadership. With that caveat (and having lost my excuse, now that I have handed over the CEO responsibility), I’ll try to share my perspective on what the essence of leadership means to me, knowing that each of you has your own leadership perspectives and goals.

Leadership development is a process. All of us grow and evolve in our leadership skills and style over time. It is a life journey with lots of twists and turns that will require you to reassess throughout your career (and throughout your life) how to be your personal best as a leader. For me, I’ve used the Jim Collins book, “Good to Great” – which admittedly has a business focus – as my benchmark to assess my own leadership journey. Among the many concepts discussed in the book on how to move a company from good to great, the one that has intrigued me most is the concept of Level 5 Leadership. This concept is approached in “Good to Great” from a business perspective, but it can also help in your role as a community leader and in your personal relationships.

The initial skill of Level 5 Leadership is to develop a mindset that goes beyond any one individual, including yourself. Level 5 leaders understand that ultimate success is more about “we” than about “me.” Another trait of Level 5 leaders is that they instinctively pass the credit for successes to others on their team, yet they readily accept the blame when things don’t go well. These traits are similar to those of “servant leaders,” but there’s one other critical trait required to achieve Level 5 Leadership. Level 5 leaders have an intense personal resolve to do whatever needs to done for the greater good of their organization, community or family. They possess the rare combination of being a team player, while also having a burning drive to achieve greatness – not for themselves, but for the team.

Jim Collins wrote that “Level 5 leaders are a study in duality: modest and willful, humble and fearless. To quickly grasp this concept, think of United States President Abraham Lincoln (one of the few Level 5 presidents in United States history), who never let his ego get in the way of his primary ambition for the larger cause of an enduring great nation. While it might be a bit of a stretch to compare the good-to-great CEOs to Abraham Lincoln, they did display the same duality. Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious – but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.”

As noted in my opening comments, the process of developing yourself as a leader is a never-ending journey. One of the CEOs interviewed for the “Good to Great” book said it best: “I never stopped trying to become qualified for the job.” As you continue on your own journey to be your personal best as a leader, remember to stop along the way to measure where you are relative to where would like to be, and never give up in your quest to become a better person and leader in all aspects of your life. Wishing you all the best on your personal leadership journeys!
 

This Month's Guest Writer

Mark A. Schroeder
Executive Chairman
German American Bank, Jasper