Legendary Leaders

For many a petty king ere Arthur came
Ruled in this isle and, ever waging war
Each upon the other, wasted all the land;
And still from time to time the heathen
host
Swarm’d over-seas, and harried what was
left.
And so there grew great tracts of wilder-
ness,
Wherein the beast was ever more and
more,
But man was less and less, till Arthur came.
For first Aurelius lived and fought and
died.
And after him King Uther fought and died,
But either fail’d to make the kingdom
one,
And after these King Arthur for a space,
And thro’ the puissance of his Table
Round,
Drew all their petty princedoms under him,
Their king and head, and made a realm and
reign’d.
Tennyson’s, The Coming of Arthur

Before they come, morale is low, turf wars abound, and an increasing amount of people behave more like beasts then the humans they were created to be. After they come, the air is permeated with excitement, all the ‘petty kings’ put away their private agendas and band together for the sake of “the vision,” and people begin to behave with dignity. What is it about Legendary Leaders that inspire us, direct us and ignite a desire within us to be more than we ever thought possible? And how do we become such Legendary Leaders?

Whether it is corporate debacles, the war against terrorism, the disintegration of families in our neighborhoods or the chaos in our public school system, everywhere we turn we see the need for Legendary Leaders such as portrayed in the myth of King Arthur and his building of Camelot. Without such men and women the enemies of truth, goodness, nobility and beauty swarm across the country, leaving us in a wilderness of lies, immorality, degradation and ugliness. Legendary Leaders, by their very nature, not only resist such enemies, they create healthy families, businesses, schools and societies that, like Camelot, are an example of the sort of greatness that we humans are capable of.

Great Souls Achieve Great Things
In referring to “their very nature,” we begin with the core of what makes a person a Legendary Leader. There is something about them that sets them apart, something about who they are that inspires people to trust and follow them. It is not merely that they have superior skills, although this is important; it is a case of their skills being infused with a certain life or grace or power.

I suggest that what makes Legendary Leaders is how their souls are shaped. There is an unalterable commitment to maintaining their values and an inexorable promise to themselves to achieving excellence and greatness in all that they do. There is nothing small or petty about such people: they have large visions, huge hearts and lofty standards to which they hold themselves accountable.

Lofty standards are not all that popular today. It is often thought that, to achieve greatness, one must be prepared to do some shady and ethically questionable things. Maybe a priest or a parent should hold to such high standards but a business executive? The presupposition is that the executive’s bottom line is the value of the company’s stock at the end of each quarter: this is all that matters in the end and one must be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the stock holders happy and feeling secure. Whatever it takes.

Looking reality square in the face is absolutely necessary for an effective leader. But does reality honestly justify lying to stockholders or winking at the purposeful destroying of the reputation of competitors through slander or innuendo? Is there no longer any place for the leader who has the courage of his or her convictions? And who doesn’t think that the majority of stockholders in the US have been introduced to the consequences of short-term thinking and unethical business practices?

There must be some point where we say, “This far and no farther.” Are there to be no standards other than profit-at-any-cost? Aren’t there any ethical standards whose boundaries will not be crossed? Are there no lofty values worthy of our allegiance? And even from the most pragmatic viewpoint, in the long run is only taking care of the short-run a wise strategy for achieving greatness? It may be sufficient for short-term profit but it is an obstruction for the person whose commitment is to taking the quest toward becoming a Legendary Leader.

Legendary leaders are leaders whom, after they are long gone, are still legends. Their achievements stand the test of time; their successes are a legacy that lives on long after they are laid to rest. And how was it that they were able to accomplish this? For one thing, their code of chivalry, the lofty standards to which they hold themselves accountable, did not evolve from a desire to merely do great things but to become great individuals.

Great leaders relentlessly seek to attain and maintain their values, even when these values run contrary to their cultural milieu. How valuable is a value that we cast aside as soon as it cost us some discomfort? Did you see the movie Braveheart, Mel Gibson’s rendition on the life of William Wallace? What was Wallace’s highest value? Hint: what was his last word before being executed? Freeeeeeeeedom! How different his life would have been had he traded freedom for security.

It is a small and blind soul that discards the sort of values that create a life capable of great achievements. In the heart of a Legendary Leader you will find such values as honesty, fidelity, courage, productivity, honor, justice, and excellence: each being supported by a sacred promise to God and to self to maintain these values regardless of the cost, which is the very definition of true integrity.

When Arthur began choosing Knights for his Round Table, these Knights had to take a vow: they were to pledge their fealty to Arthur and his code of chivalry. There was a dream that was Camelot and this dream could only materialize if the people who were fighting for its realization aligned their behavior to the dream. There was to be no murdering of innocents, no treason, and mercy was to be given to any who asked for it. The weak and defenseless were to always be given aid and comfort. This code was to be held as a sacred trust because such behavior would ensure the integrity of Arthur’s reign through maintaining the moral high ground from which he would extend his kingdom.

Is there any other path to Legendary Leadership than an honorable and noble code that is used as a compass? Well, it depends upon the nature of the legend you wish to create, doesn’t it? Do you want to be the leader who made slaves or the one who freed them? Do you want to be remembered as the leader who paved the path for the creation of long-term wealth or the one who raped and pillaged and left the corporation on a life-support system? If an honorable legacy is of concern to you—if the future welfare of your family, your business, your culture, your world—is of paramount importance to you, than the path to avoid will be as clear as the one to choose.

Think of some legendary leaders whom you greatly admire. Now. They can be men and women within your industry or they can be people from all walks of life, living or dead. Choose the one you most admire and ask yourself this question: What has to Be There for this person to be able to lead as they do? What beliefs do they hold, what values do they maintain, what states of mind do they possess, what skills have they honed to perfection? Like Butch (played by actor Paul Newman) asked the Sundance Kid (played by Robert Redford), “Who are these guys?”

copyright Monte E Wilson, 2007