[March 10, 2016] We all know that not everybody is ready to be a leader but a corollary theory holds that you don’t suddenly become a good leader just because you’re given the job. A linebacker in the National Football League, for example, does not become a good player after a few plays in that position. Likewise, a leader does not provide first-rate at leadership out of nowhere, without practice.
This may seem obvious to most of us who study the characteristics of great leadership but what makes perfect sense logically is not necessarily practiced. I was speaking with a Korean War veteran yesterday when he told me about his “green” lieutenant during the push north early in the war. The lieutenant made a poor decision (obvious to everyone except himself) and got most of his men wounded or killed.
There are times when we train young men and women to be leaders and put them through some schooling but that doesn’t mean they will be good at leadership. Like in this example of a new lieutenant who made an unfortunate decision, most of us need to practice leadership before we gain any real sense of how we will perform in the future.
There are some leaders today who are given responsibilities that are beyond their capability. We’ve all seen it. The results are generally ugly and destructive. Like the green lieutenant who gets his men killed and wounded or the team leader who doesn’t know what they’re doing failing their team’s mission. I’ve witnessed this too many times to count.
Each instance where we purposefully work toward improving leader abilities and capabilities is that much more that moves them toward excellence. When it comes to improving upon leader talents, we should never overlook that there should be a methodically driven process that involves other leaders who can coach, teach, and mentor. And, while this will accelerate leadership development it can never substitute for putting it into practice.
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