When it comes to transformational
visions, the masses will never be right
and therefore the voice of the majority
can never be used as a yardstick for the
direction in which the organization
should go.
When strategic decisions about
visionary operations are ceded to
democracy, the organization may end
up being driven in a direction based
on the lowest level of thinking because
many times the dominant personality
is the one that the masses will follow.
If that individual is a small thinker
then the organization has simply
subscribed to mediocre thinking.
Leaders who in an attempt to be
liked try to impose such democratic
dynamics are not likely to be very
successful.
There is a reason why people are on
different pay grades. There is a reason
why some people are hired to lead
and others are hired to follow. There
is a reason why people grow into
leadership. Leadership is about decision
making. When a leader fails to stand
up to make tough decisions then the
destiny of the organization is at risk.
There can be no democracy without
politics and there can be no politics
without divisions (parties). Each
division represents a particular view
on how things are supposed to
be done. With politics comes the
exorcising of broad based intelligence
because each member of each division
now has a responsibility to the
part and not the whole. Their party
position takes pre-eminence over
broad based intelligence.
In the context of politics, individual
gain becomes the driving force and
no more the bigger picture. Once
the attention has shifted from the
big picture to the individual gain
objectivity no longer matters and as
such the organization can find itself
operating at a very low level, watered
down version of the initial dream.
When Sun Tzu decided that he was
going to execute the two favourite
concubines of the king, the king
promptly intervened as expected and
told him not to because the message
was now clear and the rest of the
team had gotten it.
This was the logical position but
remember that these were the two
favourite concubines of the king and
so this was a decision that was more
driven by self and individual gain
than by the bigger picture. In fact the
king made it so clear when he said:
Brands need to act and think like
people. In my experience, the people
I’ve most admired have a number of
traits in common: they are passionate
and entertaining, they have a point of
view, they show empathy, they are open
and transparent in their dealings. Most
importantly, you know you
can trust them.
54 MAL 11/16 ISSUE
“We are now quite satisfied as to our
general’s ability to handle troops. If we
are bereft of these two concubines, our
meat and drink will lose their savour.
It is our wish that they shall not be
beheaded.”
The kings’ position had nothing to do
with the state or with the army. It was
about a personal thing. Notice that he
spoke in the plural. He represented
the political leadership. These were
the people that benefited from an
ineffective system. Their descendants
are still around in every nation today
and indeed in every organization.
Also the king’s position represented
an emotional state. The king was not
making a leadership decision. He was
making an emotional decision. This is
revealed by the word ‘favourite’. They
were his favourite concubines. There
was an emotional connection between
the king and the two concubines.
Emotions if allowed can destroy the
greatest of armies. If the king was
allowed to have his way the general
would have lost command of the
troops.
Many organizations have failed
because leadership allowed unhealthy
emotional relationships to develop
between them and their troops. Never
hire who you can’t fire and never let
a relationship develop to the point
where your emotions cloud the greater
good.
The effective leader should be close
enough to be in touch with the troops
but far enough to inspire them. The
effective leader should be emotionally
intelligent without being emotional.
The minute you begin to have little
secrets and gossip topics with your
troops is the time your leadership
begins to diminish. The day your
troops complain to you about
something in the system and you do
not have a solution but instead tell
them how you are also a victim is the
day that you cease to be a leader.