The requirements to become a leader are different than those needed to be a good leader.

Here we are in the middle of another interminable election cycle. The process of choosing a democratically elected leader is grueling and expensive. It is an entire industry. Over $16 billion dollars were spent on the 2020 US presidential and congressional elections ¹ alone.

Is this money and time well spent? Public sentiment suggests it is not. At least if you measure “well spent” by the general popularity of most candidates. Or the satisfaction rate in their job performance once elected.

Again, the skills required to get elected are not the skills required to lead.

The leaders you choose

Perhaps you want to hire or promote someone to a leadership role in your organization. Not to be a downer, but brace yourself²

• 83% of HR managers are unhappy with the results of their leadership development programs. Source
• 74% of executives felt unprepared for their senior leadership roles. Source
• 46% of leaders underperform during their transition to a new role. Source
• 60% of executives fail within the first 18 months of being promoted or hired. Source
• The direct cost of replacing a failed executive is close to 10x his or her salary. Source

Why is this so hard to pick a good leader?

Leadership issues are nearly always character issues

I’ve been an advisor to leaders for twenty years. Executive leaders are typically smart, educated, motivated people. That’s the norm.

Most of my clients are examples of successful leadership. But over the years, there have been some who ‘fail’. They do so in ways that significantly cost their companies, their reputations, and – usually – their jobs.

The reasons for failure are typically in two categories:

• Ethical virtues: This might include problems with integrity, justice, humility, boundaries, and accountability.
• Personal virtues: This might include problems with respect, patience, perseverance, empathy, and courage.

You might categorize these differently. But I think you get what I’m talking about.

When leaders fail, it’s often because of character issues. Very rarely is it because of skills – such as not being able to read a financial statement, develop a strategy, run a meeting, or understand how to delegate. Many leaders aren’t particularly good at those things.

Skills matter. Significantly. But not as much as character.

Try to imagine: 

• Abraham Lincoln without his capacity for empathy and integrity.
• Nelson Mandela without his willingness to forgive and reconcile.
• Queen Elizabeth II without her sense of duty and steadfastness.
• Mahatma Gandhi without his pursuit of peace and integrity.
• Harriet Tubman without her courage and selflessness.

We know them for their character. Not their skills. They simply would not be who they were without those character traits.

Each led through times of enormous crisis and transition. None of them made their mark by pursuing the easiest path. They could not have achieved what they did outside of their character.

Of course, no one is flawless. That’s not my point. The point is character was a defining attribute of their leadership.

Now imagine this: 

• Identify five leaders (historical or contemporary) that you disrespect, resent, or otherwise feel shouldn’t have been in their roles.
• Why? What was (or is) it about their leadership that is an issue?

My guess is that for most if not all, your answers come down to character.

The tip of the iceberg

One client described a senior executive in these terms, “Yes, he can be little (fill in the character issue) but he’s been here a long time, he’s loyal and gets the job done.”

But there were chronic issues that surrounded that leader. We explored them. Our attention put pressure on the situation. This pressure began to bring deeper problems to light. To the point that it justified his firing.

But it was only after he was let go that the real depth of character deficiency became evident. Fraud, theft and deceit.

Get this: his department immediately experienced a lift in performance and profitability when he was fired. High-performing staff who had previously left ‘because they could get paid more elsewhere’ asked if they could return now that he was gone.

He was skilled and experienced. He knew how to do the job. But his character stunk.

Moral clarity and character matter more than we often think

There can be a tendency to overlook character issues “as long as they get the job done.” Maybe this is ok for some professions. But not for leaders.

You can only lead out of who you are. And it’s not outlandish to suggest that you are the sum of your habits. Those habits are defined by your character.

When leaders fail, it tends to be in the area of character. Character, alone, won’t cause a leader to succeed. But without it, you should only expect problems.

When choosing leaders for your organization or public office – I suggest examining character first. After that, look for skill. Last, is alignment in terms of preferences around policy or strategy.

We usually get it backward.

Take good care,

Christian

#ChristianMuntean, #LeadershipAdvisory, #ExitStrategyService, #ChristianMunteanAdvising, #LeadershipCoaching, #ExitSuccessService, #ChristianMunteanConsulting, #ExecutiveLeadership, #ExitandTeamAdvisory, #ChristianMunteanCoaching

P.S. I have a new book that is almost (not quite) ready to announce. It’ll be available in early 2024. It’s going through all the publishing sausage-making right now. You’ll hear more about it in the coming months.

This book takes a deep dive into very practical steps that you can use to grow the quality, substance, and character of your leadership. Stay tuned!

1 https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/cost-of-election?display=P

2 https://aiirconsulting.com/resource/21-shocking-statistics-on-the-state-of-succession-planning/