Legendary Leaders: The Inner Side of Greatness

My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure.
Tennyson’s, Sir Galahad

One of the more common comments that corporate consultants, trainers and coaches hear from executives is, “Don’t bore us with any theoretical stuff: we only want practical advise and skills.” It doesn’t seem to occur to some people that if you foist a skill on someone whose beliefs, values and attitudes have not been correctly adjusted or modified so as to support the skill, the individual will either file the skill away with its accompanying workshop notebook never to be seen again, or will utilize the skill but never to the degree of expertise and elegance that would have been possible for them, had they heard some “theories”! The most effective education is transformational where what is practiced grows out of the heart and mind.

Great achievements, most often, grow out of particular attributes. As you study the lives of Legendary Leaders you discover that there are certain character traits, attributes and attitudes that made their achievements and their legacies possible. They did what they did because they were who they were.

The following are ten attributes that I believe shapes the soul that will become a Legendary Leader. In no way, am I implying that skills and competencies are unimportant. However, as more and more corporate case studies are revealing, developing Human Capital—developing the whole person—makes individuals far more valuable. Many people can learn to master certain skills and competencies. But few seem to know how to integrate that skill into the larger vision, to act with integrity or to be able to maintain their equilibrium when sudden changes occur. This is why so many successful CEO’s look first for great people and only second for people with great skills.

Ability to Maintain Equilibrium

Your journey toward becoming a Legendary Leader usually is accompanied with setbacks, hardships, adversities and anxieties. The ability to maintain your state of mind, to quickly get back up after being knocked down and to continue doing the right things in the right way while wrestling with your anxieties is absolutely necessary to maintaining your course. Someone who goes to bed and pulls the cover over their head and disappears for long periods of time (either literally or figuratively) will probably not arrive at their intended destination.

One of the things that I have noticed about great leaders is the level of anxiety they are able to endure for long periods of time. A good example of this is found in the Jewish scriptures that tell the story of the Legendary Leader, Joseph, who at seventeen years old had a vision that he would become a ruler. His brothers were said to be so angry and envious of him that they sold him into slavery. For thirteen years Joseph suffered the pain and hardships of slavery in Egypt before finally being exalted to second in command under Pharaoh.

I once heard Steve Forbes, Jr. speak at a college graduation ceremony. One of the suggestions he made to these young men and women was that they should not be overanxious if, after five years, they were not super successful millionaires. He noted that most people that attain such success do not do so until around fifty years old or older. (He was, he said, an exception to this rule, as he was discovered by management—his father—while still in the crib!)

Given the often-long periods of time between the vision and the attaining of the vision and the obstacles we will often face during this time, we must learn to maintain our psychological equilibrium. As Churchill said, “Never, never, never give up!” At the end of the day, we must be able to sing with Elton John, “I’m still standing…”

Consciousness

Legendary Leaders consistently assert their consciousness: they are both internally and externally aware of what is going on. Whether it is their own internal responses or reactions to people and circumstances or the responses and reactions of others, leaders are consistently aware of what’s going on. We can never allow ourselves to go to sleep at the wheel, to be numb to our own experiences, or deny what is showing up right in front of us. To checkout in this manner only blinds us to opportunities or opens the door to disasters.

Great souls “see what they see and know what they know.” (Nathaniel Brandon) They play no mind games where they deny or ignore the obvious. They may not presently know what to do with what they see but they never deny what is there. They never accept flying on automatic pilot or living a life of mindless routines. To do so would be irresponsible and would keep them from the life they wish to create.

Asserting my conscious means that I am paying attention to what works and to what isn’t working, whether this is in my own life, in the actions of others around me or in the market place where I am competing. Asserting my consciousness is staying awake to my inner and outer worlds.

Nathaniel Brandon defines consciousness as:

"Living consciously is a state of being mentally active rather than passive. It is the ability to look at the world through fresh eyes. It is intelligence taking joy in its own function. Living consciously is seeking to be aware of everything that bears on our interests, actions, values, purposes, and goals. It is the willingness to confront facts, pleasant or unpleasant. It is the desire to discover our mistakes and correct them. Within the range of our interests and concerns, it is the quest to keep expanding our awareness and understanding, both of the world external to self and of the world within. It is respect for reality and respect for the distinction between the real and the unreal. It is the commitment to see what we see and know what we know. It is recognition that the act of dismissing reality is the root of all evil." (The Art of Living Consciously: The Power of Awareness to Transform Everyday Life, A Fireside Book: Simon & Schuster, 1997, p. 11)

Courage

It often takes courage to say no to an unethical but very profitable opportunity. It takes courage to tell your boss what he or she will not enjoy hearing. It takes courage to take off on a direction that you have faith will lead to success while everyone around you is counseling you to take another route. It takes courage to invest your resources—time, money and energy—in a vision that may not be realized for years to come. It takes courage to initiate, to act decisively when everyone else around you is hanging back.

• Courage is not the absence of fear: it is doing the right thing in the right way in spite of your fears.
• Courage is not foolishness: courage considers the long-term cost of passivity and of action and then acts accordingly.
• Courage is not arrogance: courage is not about exalting self, but about exalting the mission, the cause and the values one holds sacred.

Legendary Leaders are courageous people that are self-motivated and self-governing. In other words, they do not need to be told to “get started” or to take responsibility and be accountable. They have the fortitude to do what must be done and to gladly accept the risks of leadership.

Creativity

To be creative is to ask the question, “What if…?” What if we did this in a different way? What if we stopped doing it the way we always have and struck out in “this” direction? What if we reorganized these divisions in the following way? Creative people think like Ralph Sefezian (Oracle) who said, “Change the rules before somebody else does.”

To be creative is not necessarily synonymous with being original. As Thomas Edison said, “Your idea needs to be original only in its adaptation to the problem you are currently working on.” Creative people will see the small adaptation that makes a huge difference in the profit margin. (Papa John’s Pizza with its “original ingredients.”) Creative people will combine diverse products into a single product.

Legendary Leaders will not only have an internal passion for creativity they will encourage it in others. Creative people seek out the insights and ideas of people around them. It is a small minded and shortsighted leader who thinks he or she is the only one allowed to be creative. True leadership encourages freedom of thought and expression, as well as innovation (as long as it serves the Vision).

Curiosity

Laurence Sterne said, “What a large volume of adventures may be grasped within this little span of life by him who interests his heart in everything.” (A Sentimental Journey) Curious people are people who are always learning. Their minds are never idle, their souls never experience decay, their lives are never static…and they have no frame of reference for what others refer to as “boredom.” All they experience is “adventure.”

Whether it is curiosity about people or things or a body of knowledge, Legendary Leaders have an insatiable desire to know what they have, up until now, not known. There is almost a childlike sense of wonder about such people as they constantly are in awe of some recent discovery.

Tell a curious person to not waste time reinventing the wheel and he or she will reply, “Why not…who says? Haven’t we actually reinvented the wheel many times since the wooden wheel on stagecoaches? What if we…?” If there is a way to streamline a process, it is the curious person who will discover how to do this. If there is a way to more effectively package a product, the curious person will find it. If there is a way to attract more quality people to our team, the curious person will figure it out. If there is a way to increase the company’s profit margin, it will be found by those who are curious, asking, “What if we…?”

Faith

Legendary Leaders live for something—or Someone—outside of themselves. There is a Vision that transcends their lives and, quite often, a God in whom they have placed their faith, both for their lives here and now and in eternity. Such people do not live for themselves but for the Vision, The Quest, The Holy Grail. This faith centers them. This faith integrates all aspects of their lives. This faith keeps them steady when everyone else around them are falling, running away or selling out their ethical standards for 30 pieces of silver.

One of the more enchanting things about such people is that they have no need to be the center of their universe. Life is not about them but about their Vision and their Faith. When they do assert themselves, it is not because of some need for a nuclear-powered-ego to be acknowledged but because of a perceived need to press on in the Quest.

Legendary Leaders know that they know that they are called and destined to the Quest. They have seen the Holy Grail of their mission in life and have faith that somehow, someway, the Vision will be attained. They may suffer doubt from time to time but this is like ants in the pants of their faith: it spurs them to look for opportunities for personal growth which, in turn, will further equip them for greater efficacy in their work.

Gratitude

Legendary Leaders know that the attainment of the Vision cannot happen without the contribution of others. And they are grateful for such people and what they bring to the table. We did not come into an empty world where we have to start from scratch—there were roads and houses and farms and electricity and buildings and a system of commerce that we simply adopted as our own. The Camelot we seek to construct can be accomplished because of those who have gone before us, as well as those who have joined themselves to our Quest. Realizing this fill the leader’s soul with gratitude.

When I express genuine gratitude toward the contribution of others, I am acknowledging my indebtedness as well as my appreciation. I am saying, “I see what you did, I see how it helps, and I am thankful”: a simple and noble act that profoundly touches both the giver and the receiver.

Ross Perot says, “You’ve got to create a working environment where people feel needed and worthwhile and part of a team with a mission they can buy.” Just so: and it is the constant expressions of genuine gratitude for how certain contributions moves the team further towards its goals and the realization of the Vision that will go a long way toward creating and maintaining this environment.

Humility

Humility is not self-pity. Humility is not self-hatred. Humility is not feelings of worminess. Humble people easily acknowledge that they are not the center of the universe (neither is the other guy), have these strengths and those weaknesses, and gladly accept the help of others so as to realize the Vision. In other words, humility is an acknowledgment of reality.

A humble person does not have to pretend to be an authority on all subjects and so is rarely the brunt of jokes about being a megalomaniac. Humble people do not have to constantly have their egos stroked. Humble people love having men and women around them who are brighter and more capable in many areas of expertise than they are. Humble people love giving everyone else credit for what has been accomplished. Because of this attitude, humble people easily achieve great things.

Humble people see themselves as servants. They are serving their God and serving their Vision. As a Legendary Leader, they believe that through their leadership they are serving others in regards to the attainment of the Vision. Even when a humble person challenges or rebukes another, it is with the intent of serving the person, as well as serving the Vision they both are seeking to attain.

Focus

Peter Drucker notes that, “Whenever something…is being done, I have learned that it is being done by a monomaniac with a vision.” The Legendary Leader’s entire life proclaims: This One Thing I Do. The leader who aspires to greatness knows where and when to focus his attention like a laser. He or she does not get bogged down in tasks and assignments that other people can do just as competently. Neither do they get lost in minutiae. For all of President’s Carter’s admirable attributes, what kept him from being an effective leader was his penchant and love for details. This kept him from delegating authority and wielding all of his resources toward those issues most important to the attaining of his vision for being in office.

Focusing on the primary issues and delegating everything else to others, not only strengthens the competency and confidence of emerging leadership, it also extends the borders of the leader’s influence and authority. As we cannot be in all places at once or be all things to all people, it is imperative that we choose and train leaders who wish to join us in our quest to leave a legacy of greatness.

Sense of Humor

The ability to laugh at oneself is critical to mental health. People who take themselves too seriously are a pain in the butt. It is a clear sign that they see themselves as Atlas holding the world upon their shoulders. They, as angelic beings, are never allowed to reveal their humanity and never allowed to make mistakes (or at least to admit to them). They wrap themselves in an aura of Gravity and Seriousness and, thereby, suck the life out of most every meeting they attend. The room lights up…when they leave.

People who cannot laugh at themselves actually are insecure. I don’t mean that they fear their face will crack: the insecurity I am referring to is that of the fear their team will see all of their deficiencies and weaknesses and such and, consequently, reject them. But the truth is that such transparency lets your team know that you know you are human and, thereby, allows them to share their fears and insecurities. When you laugh at the laughable in yourself, it creates an atmosphere of trust that allows people to ask for help and to even point out some of your blind spots. Is that great or what!

Legendary Leaders take their mission in life seriously. However, this is not the same thing as taking themselves seriously. When I take myself too seriously, I am placing my ego on center stage and making my feelings, my tastes, my preferences and the peculiarities of my personality all-important and something that all others must bow before. Not only is this silly but it is counterproductive to attaining great achievements. What the Legendary Leader does is place his or her Vision on center stage and acknowledges that This One Thing is what is important and what we all should take seriously.

Do all Legendary Leaders of past history embody all of these attributes? No, they do not. Some actually lived contrary to a few of these. However, I assert that their greatness, then, was in spite of their weaknesses in these areas (as it will be for all of us). Are there other important attributes? Yes, there are: yet these ten attributes will, in most cases, generate all of the other attributes we can think of as being a necessary ingredient to developing a great soul.

A Great Life begins in the heart and mind. The heart of a Legend was being developed long before anyone even recognized the existence or the potential of the future legend. If this is not the case, then the actions are a show or an act and will rarely be sustained for any long period of time. Such a shallow person may achieve fame, but they will not be legendary and their legacy will be fleeting.

copyright Monte E Wilson, 2007