March 2010

By Nick Craig

Two years ago I co-authored a book with Bill George, Finding Your True North (Jossey-Bass, 2008). Since that time, I have worked with hundreds of senior executives and have seen dozens of studies that reinforce our primary conclusion: What we call “authentic leadership” is a key ingredient to long-term, sustained business success.

As we enter 2010, I am looking for  examples of leadership in the global public and private sectors, and oftentimes I see too few “authentic” leaders — those who can inspire the next generation and steer us toward sustained economic progress.

When we do find prime examples of authentic leadership — particularly in the IT field — they may be unexpected or nontraditional. For instance, established business giants are being challenged by small upstarts offering open software and new-media alternatives. How does this represent an example of authentic leadership? Well, can you imagine saying 10 years ago: “Let’s get a group of unpaid nonprofessionals to create a massive, collaborative encyclopedia,” which we now know as Wikipedia. In fact, based on our research, the success of open software efforts like Wikipedia follows several of our key tenets. The most active participants demonstrate:

• A clear and unique expression of leadership by being true to themselves
  
• Motivation by intrinsic (creativity, challenge, service) qualities versus extrinsic qualities (money, power, position)
• A desire for tangible results

CIOs, of course, can also follow these strategies to become better and more authentic leaders this year and going forward. Besides improving IT service to your business, following this approach may ensure that you don’t end up on the outdated or outsourced side of the equation. In particular, consider these three key ideas:

1. Uniqueness: Each of us is unique as a leader. There really isn’t a cookie-cutter model that fits everyone. First, ask a few honest questions of yourself: Do you really understand the qualities that led to your current position? Ask the same question of five random people who know you — and you’ll be surprised to discover their answers … Remember, if you don’t really know what your unique gifts are, it’s hard to leverage them
2. Intrinsic motivations: What part of your job in a given week/month really energizes and excites you? How do you double the amount of time you spend in that part of your job? What would you need to delegate? Does your boss know your intrinsic motivations? Do you know the intrinsic motivations of your team?
3. Tangible impact: What percentage of what you do in a week has a direct impact on your clients’ business results? How do you double the amount of time you spend having that direct impact?

Do these feel true for you? Consider these points carefully in light of your most successful leadership experiences — and your least successful. I also suggest reading Finding Your True North, as well as the new book, Drive, by Daniel Pink (Riverhead Hardcover, 2009).

Since no single set of rules works for every leader, we invite you to share your own insights, experiences and best practices on this blog, in a discussion thread or in a community group here on Smart Enterprise Exchange.

In the coming months, we will invite you to assess your own level of authentic leadership and to discuss the results in a webinar I will lead.

Meanwhile, please check out www.authleadership.com and save the date to join me and Bill George for our workshop on “7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis,” May 10-12, in Boston.

ASK THE EXPERT

Nick Craig is President of the Authentic Leadership Institute, a leadership consulting firm. He is also co-author of Finding Your True North and a faculty member of the Wharton School’s Advanced Management Program.

Nick is also a member of Smart Enterprise Exchange and can be reached via the community e-mail.