If there’s one thing that the past year has brought into focus, it is leadership. The bad, the good, and the exceptional. When we examine our leaders, not just the obvious ones. Johnson, Biden, Trump, Angela Merkel, Michelle Obama, Branson, The Beatles, Bowie! We can learn more about leadership and define it better. There are different strands of leadership. Some can be learned. Whilst others you won’t find in any textbook. But with leadership all around us, in all walks of life, it begs the question. What can we learn from famous leaders?
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”- John Quincy Adams
Personally, I think my leadership skills peeped through when, at age four, my school report read… “Elizabeth would be more productive if she wasn’t so bossy.” Years on, my leadership style has changed slightly. Although my team may say I’m still bossy. Alongside that, I hope they feel the nurturing and loyalty that I feel comes with great leadership. Leadership is lifting the person’s vision to high sights. Raising a person’s performance to a higher standard. Building a personality beyond its limitations.
In business, I’ve always believed you should lead, not manage. And there are some learnings we can all take from international leaders who have recently been in the spotlight. Here are my thoughts on just a few.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LEADER AND A MANAGER?
My philosophy is to approach my business as a leader, not a manager. A manager oversees and gets the job done; a leader inspires people to follow their vision.
My aim in my own businesses is not to ensure the daily tasks are done but to give people the freedom to manage their own workload. My team knows what I want and never fails to deliver, because we are all working for the greater good.
A good leader for me has trust in their followers and will focus on the big picture rather than the day-to-day. Calculated risk takers, creative, empathetic, charismatic, agents for change, visionaries, committed. All fantastic leadership qualities.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEADERS?
Many debates have surrounded the classification of leadership styles. When we ask ourselves, “What Can We Learn From Famous Leaders?”, we need to recognise their individual leadership styles. Personally, I like the simplicity of the three styles defined by Polly McKenzie in a recent Evening Standard article. In it, she writes that there are Warriors, Designers and Monarchs:
“Warriors lead from the front. They dive in and do; they fix problems; they lead by serving alongside and showing what can be done. Start-ups are full of warrior leaders, charging around doing everyone’s job for them. Designers are all about systems. They frame and establish processes to solve problems. Characterised by expertise, patience, and a details mindset, they’re better adapted to large organisations than warriors. And finally, monarchs. Monarchs stand above it all. They appoint, they adjudicate, and they inspire, but you sometimes wonder what they do all day, until you realise it doesn’t matter. Their leadership works.”
Here are my thoughts on a few leaders recently in the media, which will hopefully help answer this debate: what can we learn from famous leaders?
GARETH SOUTHGATE
As England united behind the team on the pitch and reached an international final for the first time in half a century, we learned more and more about Gareth Southgate’s leadership style.
What impressed me most about Gareth was his utter dedication to his team and his 100% commitment to any decisions he made. No matter what the media, pundits, and general public’s opinion, he always stuck to his guns and was ready not only to defend his decision but to take responsibility for that decision, no matter the outcome.
Gareth does appear to have the full backing of the entire team, and he also is willing to absorb any flak that comes their way. When the three brave young men who stepped up to take a penalty were subject to racist abuse, he was there the very next day. Condemning the onslaught, showing his solidarity with his players and showcasing a very British leadership style – gentle, humble, yet underneath a steely resolution. He is the personification of the English gentleman, strong, kind and fair, yet cross the line, and you will regret it. Some leaders yell, others show their disappointment, and it’s arguably the latter that would get better results.
So, “What Can We Learn From Famous Leaders?” In this case, the top lesson from Gareth Southgate is this: there is no place for ego in a good leader. Stick to your decisions, admit when you’re wrong, and you will command others’ respect. Sometimes he is a little risk-averse for me, but overall, he is inspirational; he leads from the front and has a clear vision and purpose.
BORIS JOHNSON
Boris did, of course, break down the red wall thanks to his Brexit strategy, and he defeated labour in a landslide result. People often underestimate him, yet he knows his strengths. He plays on his oafish character, and we often forget that underneath is a very, very clever man indeed.
Boris’s premiership has been very different to the one I’m sure he imagined. His aim was to march Britain out of Europe and, to coin a phrase, ‘make Britain Great again.’ But coronavirus stopped all that.
In guiding the country through unprecedented times, he has met many challenges, and I don’t think it has all been bad. You can see Churchillian influences in some of his early lockdown speeches. He demonstrated a resolute, stiff upper lip and dedication when he caught coronavirus. He was forced to delegate and make decisions from his hospital bed. You can’t ask for more commitment than that.
Boris is able to delegate well, but sometimes by passing over the responsibility, he also passes over the blame if things do go wrong. As a leader, he emerges unscathed, but it’s not an endearing quality.
Boris quite purposefully plays the role of the buffoon, and in thinking him foolish very often, we underestimate the canny mind behind his jester-like leadership front.
As a leader, Boris has come under fire for indecisiveness and making decisions too late, but have no doubt, each decision, each communication will have had a team of analysts behind it. He is a good leader in that he generally gets the majority to do what he wants, even if that’s not what he asks us to do. Smoke and mirrors.
Let’s also not forget that Britain’s vaccine roll out has been world-beating, and it was decisiveness early on, when vaccines were not even developed, that has put us in this strong position.
One of the biggest criticisms leveraged at Boris was that he did not deal with aide Dominic Cummings in a decisive enough manner. A decision that really came back to haunt him months later. But as a leader, you also need to constantly be learning and improving. A takeaway for us all.
Whatever your political standpoint or view of how he has dealt with coronavirus, Boris has one leadership quality that shines through. He has charisma. That’s a quality you can never teach or describe in management textbooks.
Where charismatic leaders go, others will always follow, for better or worse.
JOE BIDEN
After the anarchic scenes that marked the end of the Trump era, all has been fairly quiet across the pond. Where Boris is all bluster, buffoonery, and likeability, Southgate is calm, collected, and resolute. Joe Biden is quiet, empathetic, and for some, unremarkable. But perhaps that’s just what America needed for a little while. A little time out of the spotlight and away from the chaos. A safer pair of hands to steady the ship.
Trump gave Biden the nickname ‘Sleepy Joe’ to undermine his leadership authority. Yet no steadfast rule says a leader must be high octane and full of energy. Biden is in his twilight years, and experience can be just as important as youthful exuberance – especially in a leader. More so, I believe, you can read my thoughts on age versus experience here: Everyday Ageism – Why We All Need To Take A Good Look In The Mirror – Liz Taylor Consultancy (liz-taylor-consulting.co.uk)
Biden’s progressive thinking outweighs his advancing years; arguably, one of Biden’s master strokes was to appoint Kamala Harris as Vice President. America wasn’t ready for a female president, but through selfless leadership, Joe Biden might help make this milestone a reality.
JACINDA ARDERN
I was already impressed with Jacinda Ardern before the coronavirus outbreak. New Zealand’s youngest prime minister and a woman, she has demonstrated swift, decisive leadership, and it has paid off. By locking down the country quickly, New Zealand has had some of the lowest coronavirus infection and transmission rates anywhere in the world.
Her communication about the reasoning behind those decisions has been second to none. When a leader is open, honest, and can defend their decision-making, it helps the masses to follow. She has also shown her solidarity with those struggling financially by taking the same pay cut as them.
Jacinda has led with kindness and selflessness; she also has a very young family and is not afraid to show that she is a mother as well as a leader. She became the first head of government to give birth in office since Benazir Bhutto (the former prime minister of Pakistan) and has often been seen at meetings with her young daughter in tow. She even took her to the United Nations conference, which is both refreshing and inspiring for female leaders everywhere. Not only this, but despite being the leader of the country, she took her maternity leave – demonstrating that family values are more important than anything to her.
Looking at what we can learn from this and other famous leaders, Ardern is an authentic leader. She’s an excellent decision-maker and is relatable to most of her followers.
GRETA THUNBERG
When you think about what we can learn from famous leaders, this young lady might not come to mind right away. But should. Greta Thunberg was just fifteen when she made the world sit up and listen to climate change. And she did it just by sitting.
So, what can we learn from famous leaders? Perhaps it’s that a truly inspirational leader inspires others to take action. Some do it by rousing speeches and high energy; others do it more quietly, but no less effectively, simply by standing true to what they believe is right.
Greta has an unwavering commitment to a cause. Her stance on climate change is so ingrained in her personality that it’s very hard to ignore. Greta has elements of the charismatic leader, but she is utterly fearless. She stood up to ‘bullying’ from some of the more unscrupulous world leaders in a way that was utterly astounding given her years and background.
THE QUEEN
Lastly, whether you are a royalist or not, it’s hard to meet somebody who doesn’t have the utmost respect for The Queen. Tiny in stature, but an unwavering presence. She has been a constant at the head of the country for 69 years. She was just 26 when she took the throne, and she accepted her responsibility with dutiful humility. She doesn’t say much, but what she does say carries real gravitas. The Queen also knows how to make a statement without saying a word.
She has broken down barriers during her rule. And where tradition is a huge part of her role, she can see the need for modernisation and embraces it.
She has not been afraid to let the younger members of the royal family step into the limelight, and this has hugely popularised the monarchy once more. Only in recent months has there been some unrest, but even through tough family times she has remained steadfast and true to her values.
The Queen’s overriding leadership style is quiet dignity, and it is one that wins her the utmost respect from other leaders around the world. She presides over the country through ups and downs. A true monarch in every sense of the word.
START WITH WHY
When people understand the why it’s much easier to inspire them to follow. This book is a must-read for any would-be leader. READ
UNDERSTAND YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE
Understanding your personality type will undoubtedly help you to work out what type of leader you are. Try one for free at the link below.
https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
