I’m myopic, and have been since I was young.
It’s a fancy word for being nearsighted. I can still read without needing eyeglasses, but I need the specs for driving, sports, and for figuring out who’s coming towards me down a long hallway.
Kids call other kids who need glasses “Four Eyes!”
This week, I was with a bright, young new client. We talked about leadership, and what leaders do that is so different from the tasks of managers. Good question.
Then it came to me. We like to think of leaders as “farsighted,” not myopic, right? So, using that idea, I offer you a model of leadership as the “FOUR I’s”–
1. INTROSPECTION: Meaning, literally, inner vision. Introspection often is given a bad rap. To some, it seems like a waste of time. Not to true leaders. Introspection is working to gain insight into the CORE questions of “Who am I?” “What are my strengths, and weaknesses?” “How do I gather and process information best?” “What do I believe?” “Where am I in the world, and what are my responsibilities to it?” “Why do I live and work?”
Leaders are believers. They have looked inside and clarified who they are, what they stand for, and what they are willing to live and die for. They inspire TRUST from others because they exude trust in themselves. Their personal culture, the “20-square feet” surrounding them, is safe and sure. They are CREDIBLE. They are BELIEVABLE.
These types of leaders then help their organizations become introspective. They look internally, and assess strengths and opportunities; identify core competencies and know how; leverage assets and close gaps between what is and what’s needed. With courage, they face the facts of their competitive situation; confront weaknesses and threats; and insist that the requirements of their customers be deeply understood and met.
How well do you know yourself? How well does your organization understand itself and its situation? A little introspection goes a long way.
2. INSPIRATION: Anchored to their beliefs, true leaders look forward, and out, to gain a clear, compelling VISION for the future. Seeking what the ancient Romans called “the breath of life,” inspired leaders come to see the possibilities for forward progress. They ask “What is the opportunity?” “What needs to be done?” “What paths must be explored?” “Where am I called?”
Inspired leaders breathe life, excitement, and vitality into others. They inspire their teams with CLARITY about the future, reducing the great human fear of the unknown. FEAR freezes action and movement. An organism that exhibits no action, or movement, is dead. Therefore VISION is the antidote to organizational DEATH.
How clear, compelling, and inspiring is your vision? Where are you and your company headed? How are your “vital signs?”
3. INTEGRATION: The current meaning of this word is “to unite or combine.” Its original meaning, which I suggest we “AND” to the current, was “to restore or renew.” Great leaders unite us, and thereby renew us. Starting with themselves, they do not seek to achieve a false “balance” in the many spheres of their lives, dividing time between “work” OR “life.” Instead they BRING TOGETHER those core priorities and seamlessly move across them, renewing themselves as they give of themselves, seeking re-creation in true recreation.
It’s the same with their organizations; leaders bring people and things and concepts and plans together. They know how to ORCHESTRATE the totality of their resources into a whole that’s much greater than the sum of its parts. They unify the efforts of unique centers of excellence, in individuals and teams. They build COMPETENCE in themselves, others, and their teams.
As you look around at your life and work, what do you see? Is it fragmented silos, separated and distinct, or integrated flows of interaction and interchange? Why?
4. INITIATIVE: Finally, great leaders TAKE ACTION. They go first. They lead from the front. They say, “Follow me.” They serve others in their pursuit of excellence. Vision without action is dreaming. Action without vision is killing time. Action WITH vision is making a difference. Making a difference in the service of others is what it’s all about.
True leaders are ALIVE. They move with deliberate intent. They are on the journey. They make sure to take the initiative to communicate the vision, tell others “I believe in you” when they most need to hear it, and be truth tellers on poor performance when that’s needed. Leaders know that nothing communicates better than ACTION in the direction of the vision, so they take the initiative to act, and thereby explain, the proper direction.
That’s CHARACTER. In individuals and organizations, it’s measured by the degree of congruence between what we say, and what we do.
The FOUR “I’s” of Leadership–Introspection, Inspiration, Integration, Initiative.
I can see clearly now.
BUILT TO LEAD 