We’ve learned a lot about leadership these past few weeks. Time to make sure we pass on what we’ve learned to the next generation as they near voting age.
Leadership, it has been said, occurs at the intersection of character and circumstance. We saw that demonstrated recently when Barack Obama spoke in eulogy to John Lewis and we see it here every day in B.C. as otherwise seemingly ordinary, albeit people well-qualified in their own areas, step up to provide the leadership, politically and medically, that shows us a path through crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
They inspire us to follow that path, knowing that some might take that path less willingly than others.
We’ve also see the tragic effect of the abdication and subsequent absence of leadership which has an entire nation to the south of us in chaos.
The question is how, in an age of 24/7 “news” and unsubstantiated opinion from any number of pulpits, do we explain genuine leadership so that we can clarify its characteristics for our kids as they move into that next stage of their lives, when they will need to select leadership at the ballot box?
How, for example, do we teach them to distinguish between conscientious leaders and demagogues — responsible aspirants to public office and career tub thumpers?
How do we help our kids recognize the loud mouth and the empty vessel?
To begin with, we can explain, genuine leadership is difficult and requires a blend of integrity, clarity, decisiveness, the courage to speak up and, probably most important of all, humility.
Like being a good parent, a good teacher, even just a worthwhile member of a democratic culture, being a good leader is not easy.
Demagoguery, which requires few or none of the qualities of actual leadership, seeks support by appealing to the less worthy desires and prejudices of ordinary people, avoids rational argument, points fingers and assigns blame.
Leadership, the research tells us, requires integrity, judgement, competence and vision.
Successful leaders demonstrate these qualities in abundance and maintain their sense of purpose in the face of obstruction.
So what, do we tell our kids, are the distinguishing characteristics of those whose leadership is worth supporting?
Leadership researcher and high-performance transformational coach Andi Saitowitz, of the Adler Institute, identifies listening as being a “sine qua non” of leadership without which other qualities fade into insignificance.
“Active listening is all about really hearing others beyond what is said verbally. When people feel heard and validated, it makes them feel valued and, as a result, drives far better engagement,” Saitowitz says.
Leaders, in other words, accept the advice of authentic experts.
According to Saitowitz and others, true leaders never stop learning and see themselves as perpetual students. They stay curious and ask questions with an open mind and view the pursuit of continuous learning as a strategic asset.
Leaders, sometimes in the face of all evidence to the contrary, remain optimistic.
“Leaders who are optimistic believe they can create a positive future that is better than the present. They instil hope and faith in their people and serve as a shining light of possibility” she says.
And leaders deliver.
Demagogues tend to rely on fear of the unknown and suspicion of those who are different or whose philosophy differs from their own.
A mountain of research into leadership also points to emotional intelligence as an important factor which distinguishes leaders from demagogues.
Daniel Goleman, author and researcher on the brain and behavioural sciences, defines emotional intelligence as the ability to not only understand and rein in one’s own emotions but the ability to understand the emotions and behaviour of others.
As our kids move into this world of 24/7 news and sometimes bizarre opinion, the ability to spot trustworthy leadership and its qualities becomes more and more essential to preserving a free democracy. Free that is, of fraudulent leadership which lacks respect for the truth, is quick to assign blame and slow to take responsibility.
But enough of all that. It is not about leadership “up there” our kids need to recognize, but the qualities of everyday personal leadership which will shape that way our kids learn and live as they grow into adulthood; practice in decision-making, strategic and critical thinking, accountability and the ability to set goals and deadlines and “get things done.”
True, these are among the qualities we admire in genuine leaders, but they are also abilities and characteristics kids need to master for themselves in their day to day lives; not to quit at the first sign of difficulty; to expect to face challenges and understand that resilience is a skill that can be developed over time to deal with inevitable bumps in the road.
Leadership, we will tell our kids, begins with you.
Geoff Johnson is a former superintendent of schools.
