LEADERSHIP SIMPLIFIED

A great passion I share with many colleagues in the PEO industry is the topic of leadership. I have been blessed to lead groups in many different aspects of life both personal and professional. The past four decades have been dedicated to mentoring undergraduate college men in values-based leadership. The rewards are immeasurable.

Over the course of a career, it is common to read scores of books on leadership. I have, and I suspect many of you have as well. We all have our favorites. If one thinks about it, couldn’t virtually any book on leadership be condensed to about 10 pages? There are generally five, seven, ten, or twelve fundamental suggestions in each book. Those numbers have proven over time to work. Too few and the book may be too small to market, too many and the message gets diluted. Why not just put those in bullet points with a sentence or short paragraph explaining each? Instead, we get several hundred pages of explanatory narrative which is sometimes compelling, often not. It doesn’t need to be that complicated.

A review of the leadership books on my shelf revealed over four dozen key attributes that have been showcased for effective leadership. Four dozen. That is a lot. Some common key components rise to the top. Teddy Roosevelt had a favorite quote that he adopted in college and based his life of service on. It summarizes well the attributes of an effective leader.

“Look up and not down; look out and not in; look forward and not back, and lend a hand.” Edward Everett Hale

Let’s unpack that.

LOOK UP, NOT DOWN.

Lao Tzu is quoted as saying, “Leadership has been defined as the ability to hide your panic from others.” Body language for a leader is critical. It helps to look the part. In fact, it is essential. Most PEO leaders possess strong entrepreneurial tendencies. Our industry is constantly balancing the ever-changing business and political climate while implementing new initiatives to better serve the market. Effective leaders read the room. In the past fifteen years our industry has faced massive challenges with the Great Recession, the Affordable Care Act, Covid 19, the PPP loan, ERTC, and ransomware of key associate members. Reflecting back, our NAPEO leaders, both volunteer and staff held tough and powered through. They held their heads high, looked outside of themselves to their team and the empowered people to innovate, improve, and advance. In some cases, this leadership literally saved an industry from the brink of disaster. A common denominator was they all held their poise and led. We now face new challenges and opportunities as technology, artificial intelligence, and new entrants into the market begin to appear.

LOOK OUT, NOT IN.

Think Ernest Shackelton. Often cited as the gold standard of leadership in crisis, Shackelton saved the lives of his men by overcoming ridiculous odds over a long span of time in brutal weather conditions. He constantly was looking outward toward the next solution. Not the end game solution, but the next solution. By focusing on what was the best thing to do next, his decisions combined into an unlikely and glorious result. Alison Levine also has great insight on this in her leadership book. Recommendation: Endurance by Alfred Lansing and On the Edge by Alison Levine.

LOOK FORWARD, NOT BACK.

Think Steve Jobs. He said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them. That’s why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.” Apple has been a leader in innovation and creating products we all want but didn’t even know we wanted. His forward thinking changed the world. We often ask ourselves, “What does the client want?” Perhaps we should be taking a more innovative approach, like Jobs. Recommendation: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

LEND A HAND.

Think Mother Teresa or Mahatma Ghandi. A title or a position is not necessary to lead. One can lead from any chair. These two were among the most influential people on the planet and neither held a title. Alexander den Heijer said, “When I talk to managers, I get the feeling that they are important. When I talk to leaders, I get the feeling that I am important.” It is said that good soldiers make good generals. It is important for a team to know that their leader is willing to roll up their sleeves and do whatever is necessary to help the team succeed.

Implementing an effective leadership strategy is a deeply personal and professional endeavor. It is impossible to do it like anyone other than oneself. “Authentic” is a word that has been overused to the point of ad nauseum, but it is true. Know oneself and live that authentic self. People immediately see through a playacting leader. There are many personality profile tests available. Virtually every PEO offers some version of a good personality test. Here again, we all have our favorites. Of the half dozen or so tests that I have taken, the biggest impact has been on identifying weaknesses. That allows discernment and moderation to surface when charging ahead might be the initial instinct. Knowing oneself and the styles and hard wiring of those with whom we work is a critical piece of the puzzle. Without it and a good understanding of how to best use that information, communication breakdowns and missteps are likely. Recommendation: First, take at least one personality test, preferably several. Second, read True North by Bill George

Effective and authentic (sincere) leadership will almost always, influence behavior, attract talent, drive results, facilitate change, spot opportunities, build strong culture, and drive higher revenues. Bottom line? It leads to success.

Teddy Roosevelt had Hale’s quote to build his life on. I combined two from mentors of mine. “Show up, tell the truth, and see what happens. Then, do the next right thing.” On a broader scale, I also apply Rule Six from Ben and Rosamund Zander’s book “The Art of Possibility,” which beautifully states, “Don’t take yourself too seriously!” I don’t, and it has served me well.