There was an enormous response to my last blog post, partly (and I am very grateful for this) in recognition of my Dad’s passing, but also around the notion of the caring leader.
What stood out for me was that so many of you are able to recognise caring leaders in your lives – there are a great many of them in workplaces and in the community. You also appreciate the importance of the care these people give. Yet, as many of you pointed out, these leaders rarely gain any form of public acknowledgement for what they achieve.
Recognition and leadership have an interesting history together. Leaders with big reputations are always around us. Leaders of corporations are lauded for their ability to turn a business around. Leaders in politics are (occasionally) venerated for their rhetorical skills. Leaders on sports grounds are idolised for their athletic prowess.
In many of these cases, a recognised leader is a ‘big’ leader – someone with charisma, conviviality and, often, volume. He or she is someone comfortable in the spotlight and decisive in a crisis.
There is nothing wrong with any of these characteristics, but it would be a mistake to think that they define leadership simply because they are characteristics common to prominent leaders. Authentic leadership is more than conspicuous leadership.
Real leaders are those who get on with the job of leading without looking for fanfare. They quietly motivate their people, often working one-on-one rather than with large groups. They communicate clearly and effectively, but without the need for volume. They coach and influence, empower and encourage. They maintain a big picture view while never forgetting the small stuff.
Very often, genuine leaders don’t necessarily see themselves as leaders. Leadership is just part of who they are. Their level of emotional health is high enough that they have essentially removed themselves from the equation; to them, leadership is all about those they are leading. “Look at me” is the furthest phrase from their minds.
It is possible, of course, to be this sort of authentic leader and also have prominence. The interesting thing is that in the long term, it is the genuine leaders that we remember – whether they were prominent or not as they went about their jobs. Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi are both very well-known and respected leaders, but their renown was not something either of them ever sought. It has come from what they have done.
The world today is noisier than ever, which means gaining prominence requires more volume than ever. Amongst the commotion, it is incumbent on us not to overlook the quieter leaders.
