A Supreme Court Justice once observed that although he couldn't define obscenity he knew it when he saw it. Leadership is similarly elusive. Although there are some fine definitions, I've yet to read one without the sense that something is missiing. The topic is not a science. It carries an intangible component.
But I know it when I see it.
It may be wise to acknowledge leadership's elusive nature. When I was an undergraduate at the University of Arizona, I majored in Government, which was certainly a far more accurate way of describing the subject than the now common Political Science. It amused me to see professors who felt that the power of nations could be expressed in mathematical equations. The human and cultural elements were often missing and those could be crucial.
So it is with leadership. Just what are the missing elements?
2 comments:
I feel good leadership is extremely responsive to circumstance. The Missing Element is not elusive, it does not exist: key elements will emerge once ciumstance is revealed to leadership. That is consistent with the general idea that leadership emerges out of a very distinct situation and that challenges ¨make¨ leaders. Trying to map a play book for leadership has failed so far, which indicates to me the need to refocus on skills that enable people to ¨read¨ given situations correctly and to make choices accordingly. Even search for support of your choices has proven to be clearly related to audience and less to message.
Juan Cristobal Crisosto
jccrisosto@hotmail.com
Juan,
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. You've given me a lot to think about.
Michael
Post a Comment