Look familiar?
This grainy meme has been making the rounds for a couple of years. At first glance, the viewer can see that something has gone awry. Gathered around a sinkhole, amidst clutter and debris, the assembled managers discuss a way out of this unexpected challenge. The solution? Send in Dave! He’s expendable.
Sometimes this meme is accompanied with the ironic caption:
“Due to cutbacks, we’re going to have to let go of Dave.”
At this point your sympathy should lie with Dave… or should it?
The last time this image landed in our inbox, it made us do a double take. “What if we had it all wrong?” we asked ourselves. What if Dave is the key leader in this situation?
Pretty soon the questions then become: what makes a leader, really? Is it being formally recognized as one or is it by one’s actions and character? We believe it’s the latter. Let’s take a closer look at why.
1. Dave Leads with Humility
What if Dave is the embodiment of servant leadership. As a service-oriented leader, Dave understands that his most vital role is supporting the members of his team by assisting them through challenges and crediting them in their moments of success.
If there is a crisis, you can be assured, that Dave is there among his people - not sitting in the ivory tower, disconnected from the realities his employees are facing. Dave then can make informed decisions. He rarely makes them in a vacuum.
Dave recognizes that effective leadership must display humility as well as confidence. The cultivation of these virtues inspires the same within his team. This in turn provokes a desire to work cohesively toward common goals with a shared purpose. For that to take place Dave knows he needs to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty.
2. Dave Builds Others Up
What if Dave is reaching down and pulling up the next leader from the trenches? Great leaders build great leaders around them. They recognize potential in others and develop it. We see Dave actively engaging with high potential employees across the organization. Mentoring them. Coaching them. Investing time and energy into their successes. Giving them constructive feedback and holding space for difficult conversations because he is committed to the development of the individual. Being the internal support system where the emerging leader can have the psychological safety and accountability necessary to actualize their potential.
The act of leading in such a manner means a willingness to seek out those individuals and nurture their potential for their own leadership journey. Dave must also be brave and selfless enough to let go of valuable, high-performing team members when they’re up for promotions. Dave recognizes that such actions are in the best interest of the company’s values and success. This means having the courage to understand that those whose skillful performance inspires their organization to ongoing success, already manifest an aura of leadership.
Yup, leaders like Dave encourage others to pursue their ambition, while scouting for the next leader in the making. They recognize this is the legacy they are leaving. Three to five years from now, that leader who Dave invested his time building up only to move on is modeling her own version of Dave’s leadership philosophy. She too is building up leaders around her because that has been the exemplary leadership she has experienced.
3. Dave Influences with Authenticity, Not Authority
What if Dave isn’t just any leader, but the leader of the organization. He occupies the coveted C-Suite. His decision to climb into the rubble isn’t only to pitch in but to provide the ultimate teachable moment; an example to all the other assembled managers, and department heads of what it means to be a member of his company. What if Dave is showing that authority is not just the exercise of power, but the exhibition of authenticity?
He is acutely aware the impact his leadership can have on the culture of his organization. Dave also believes the code of conduct is as applicable to the CEO as it is to the intern. Sure, he has the largest decision-making authority in the organization. He occupies a vital seat. But that seat does not excuse Dave from modeling the core values of the organization. In this meme, Dave has chosen to demonstrate his leadership with his actions, rather than simply declare it with his title. And we see you, Dave.
“There are no small parts, only small actors.” - Konstantin Stanislavski
Leadership has to be more than holding title and pulling rank, no? Certainly, titles can be helpful when establishing a chain of command or identifying who is accountable. But being formally recognized as a leader and acting like a leader are not one in the same. Title, rank, and position can be temporary illusions. At the end of it all, only actions, service, and legacies remain.
How do we get our leaders there?
One of the greatest detriments to an organization’s success is the flawed assumption that leadership is a fixed and ingrained quality. That one is either by their nature a leader, or one is not. The reality of course is that leaders are not born, they are built, and in that department, we’ve got you covered.
Your organization’s leaders have the ability to set, or hinder, the pace at which you achieve your company’s mission and vision. Our LeadershipSOPs programs transform organizations - from the frontline to the strategy table and those in-between - converting the everyday Joe into a fearlessly authentic leader… like Dave.
You Got This. We've Got You.
