LEADERSHIP
There is so much written on leadership it is hardly worth discussing it in ProsStars.
You the reader can read and study leadership as much as you wish, if
you have time for it. There is plenty written on it––just go to Google
and enter “leadership” and a plethora of material will be at your
fingertips. Also, corporate gatherings, scientific meetings and
military indoctrination courses are full of it. By observation, most
everyone who has been in a position of authority comes away from their
jobs thinking they have the most original, new, best answers for good
leadership and the best formulas for giving it to others. Read books by
Jack Welch (GE), Rudy Guiliani (Mayor, New York City), Louis Gerstner
(IBM), or Colin Powell (Secretary of State) for examples. We in
prosthodontics don’t write books on our versions of leadership, but we
are no different; we know our brand of leadership works.
Let’s highlight a few leadership issues pertinent to dentistry and prosthodontics. We do NOT agree with the statement “leaders are not born, they are made.” Great leaders are
born. Trying to teach some leaderships traits to an intended leader
might help, but it won’t turn a born follower into a leader. And it
won’t turn them into a good leader and for sure not a great leader. As
we’ve said before, kittens born in the oven are not biscuits, and
“followers” going to leadership courses won’t become leaders, at least
not because of course instruction. By the same token “you can’t teach good sense.”
We should understand that any measures of good sense come with birth.
Some people just don’t get it or have it. Let’s just emphasize that it
doesn't hurt to read self-help books on leadership, and it doesn’t hurt
to hear a lecture or two on leadership traits. But don’t expect natural
tendencies to alter to any degree, and especially to any degree of
greatness. If given the job as leader, you can be assured that someone
recognized or voted for your leadership traits as they saw them in your
everyday actions. You were showing natural born leadership traits.
Definitions:
Warren Ben's:
Leadership
is a complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish
a mission, task, or objective and directs the organization in a way
that makes it more cohesive and coherent.
the American Heritage Dictionary:
leadership n.
1. The position or office of a leader: ascended to the leadership of the party.
2. Capacity or ability to lead: showed strong leadership during her first term in office.
3. A group of leaders: met with the leadership of the nation's top unions.
4. Guidance; direction: The business prospered under the leadership of the new president.
Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary:
Showing the capacity to lead. To guide on its way; to direct on a course; to direct operations, activity, or performance.
Enough!
–– In any organization there is always a person in a position of
leadership. But leadership is like esthetics or ethics. It doesn't
stand alone. We have good esthetics and bad esthetics; correct ethics
and irresponsible ethics; and there is good leadership and bad
leadership. On occasion, there are great leaders, even in dental
practices, specialty training programs, dental school faculties,
editors, presidents of organizations, hospital dental services and
military organizations. Those great leaders are exceptional
leaders––just ask their patients and office staffs. The followers know
it and will verify it. Most often, however, in fact in a lifetime, one
may encounter only one or two great
leaders. A current reading, “His Excellency, George Washington”
describes a great leader. London's new Winston Churchill Museum
recognizes a great leader. Ben Franklin was a great statesman, but he
wasn't a great leader. How about General George Patton, a great
general, but he didn't instill great followership. Lester Burket,
former Dean of the University of Pennsylvania dental school was a great
leader; a quiet master of his profession and his dean’s position.
Admiral Bob Elliott, a past Chief of the Navy Dental Corps, was a
consummate leader, leaving no stone unturned in his quest to advance
and perfect the dental treatment system he lead and the people in it.
General Bhaskar, a past Army Dental Chief and world renown oral
pathologist and periodontist was a great leader of the same caliber.
Seldom have we seen great leaders in these latter capacities and
extending it up a notch, name one great leader who has held the chair
of president of the American Dental Association.
The ProsStars leadership test: (apply True or False to each statement)
TRUE OR FALSE
•A leader's first priority is to activate people, rather than placing emphasis on the management of materiel assets.
•Leaders set goals that are beneficial to the organization and to the people in it.
•Leaders see future opportunities for their organization far beyond
those working in it, and lay plans to use these opportunities to full
advantage.
•Leadership is synonymous with responsibility.
•A leader is truthful––always.
•A leader never asks someone else to do their "dirty work."
•A leader can delegate individual responsibility and accountability,
monitoring the delegated tasks, but the leader cannot delegate overall
responsibility and accountability.
•Good leaders promote an open flow of communication in a non threatening environment.
•Good leaders should insist on being full informed. Fully informed means receiving "all" information good and bad.
•The organization's people know that the leader cares for their personal and professional well-being.
•A good leader insures that everyone in the organization is well suited
to the job assigned, and that they are fully trained in every aspect of
their jobs.
•A good leader is ever aware that the organization doesn't become complacent.
•A good leader insures that there is maximum staff empowerment with everyone being listened to in the decision process.
•A good leader prepares for a successor leader.
•A good leader prepares the organization's people to accept and support a successor leader, if it become necessary.
•A good leader plans off work time to allow for relaxed, formative,
good interactions between workers and between workers and management. A
good leader enjoys having fun.
•A new leader is sensitive when contemplating takeover changes,
understanding such changes should be gradual, using knowledge of
corporate history, and considering the worth of workers who have
dedicated time and effort in building the organization.
•Good leaders do not step aside, knowingly or unknowingly, thinking others will get the blame for any missteps or failures.
•A good leader gets out and about. A good leader is naturally "personable." A good leader enjoys people.
•A good leader pays strict attention to fiscal matters.
•A good leader exercises fairness in every decision. In making a
decision two questions should always be asked. They are: "what will it
hurt to say yes?" and "is it fair to all?"
•Good leaders breed good followers. It's a win, win deal.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to determine all answers are
True. The traits do make one stop and think. Am I measuring up to my
expected leadership goals? Am I doing the best for my staff, my
faculty, my officers? Am I paying more attention to “me” than I am to
“them”? Can I better develop my inborn traits to become a better
leader? A good exercise might be to have a third party or a management
assistance group ask your staff what they expect from you. Would their
list coincide with the above list? Are you meeting your staff’s
expectations?
Another exercise, just as important, maybe greater, is what is your
course of action if you are working for an individual who doesn't
exercise good leadership traits? It happens, and it happens all too
frequently. What are the courses of action you can follow so that the
problem is lessened, but your status, job or position is not
jeopardized beyond repair? A common outcome is an antagonistic
relationship, and usually the leader wins, no matter right or wrong.
That’s a subject for another discussion, but its opposite is that even
leaders have to deal with disgruntled followers, because of
misunderstandings in their leadership role. T or F
–– A good leader should quickly recognize a disgruntled follower, and
should have a sensible course of action to right the relationship––True.
Probably Will Rogers had it right when he said: “If you're riding ahead
of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s
still there.”
Hobson’s Choice
Oh yes, there's one other characteristic of a leader that has to be
taken into consideration. It’s a trait applicable to any leader in any
role, but we in the Navy have paid special attention to it because it
becomes the foundation of good leadership. It’s a lesson that comes
from the collision of the USS Hobson (DD464) and the USS Wasp (CV 7) on
the night of April 26, 1952; and the lesson of choice made by the ill
fated Hobson’s captain.
Hobson’s choice in this connotation refers to the tradition that with leadership one inherits a responsibility. It cannot be avoided. It comes with the turf. But with responsibility comes authority. Most leaders seem to like that. But with responsibility and authority comes accountability. This accountability is not for the intention, but for the deed; and it never goes away during the term of leadership.
A Wall Street Journal
editorial of May 14, 1952 recounts the Navy’s position as: “it is
cruel, this accountability of good and well intentioned men, but the
choice is that, or an end to responsibility and finally, an end to the
confidence and trust in the men who lead. Men will not long trust
leaders who feel themselves beyond accountability for what they do, and
when men lose confidence and trust in those who lead, order
disintegrates into chaos, and the purposeful most likely become
uncontrollable derelicts.”
Responsibility, authority, accountability––all very necessary hallmarks of good and great leaders. NDW
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