Apex Thinking: Words from Dr. Charles H. Polk

The Detail Sorters

At Walmart, the company that has effectively corralled the concept of low prices into their own brand portfolio, change is underway in their relationships with the companies that supply the products they sell. According to a recent article in AdAge, the new direction, labeled Project Impact, seeks to consolidate the number of suppliers they use and better leverage the advertising dollars that those companies have available to support Walmart's operation.

Leadership principles effectively will dictate that you have to have some semblance of a team in order to be a leader. While on the surface Project Impact might look to be the epitome of corporate control-wielding, reality is, Walmart has simply, officially and clearly adopted a leadership role with companies with which it is essentially partnering. This will keep smaller company and stand-alone brands off the valuable shelf space in their stores, which, while putting small brands in perilous situations, will help strengthen the focus, and likely the bottom lines, of the big product companies. As the Consumer Confidence Index has faltered over the past couple of months, new strategies are clearly necessary.

Insiders have referred to these meetings as "MBA Meetings," which seems to be code for leaving the grunt work of sorting out the deal schema to people with those degrees. Notice, though, that the MBA people are not the ones seemingly recommending or directing the changes — in this scenario, they are clearly detail sorters.

Leadership development and acumen are key to being able to resolve complex situations, even in unpleasant situations, by looking at the big picture for all involved. With Project Impact, Walmart has taken a leadership role, with vision and direction for where they intend to go with their organization. The people with MBAs are doing the sort-out work for them. Keep this in mind when you personally are thinking of your future—where would you like to be in a similar scenario played out within your business or organization?

Falling Down

You may have heard people described with such phrases as “he could mess up a two-car funeral” and “he never falls down, he always falls up.” Ever thought that these observations are often made about those we call leaders? If you are a leader, it is likely that you’ve been described in such terms .

We tend to be quite frank and candid in our critique of our leaders. Yes, there is always an element of hero worship for those who guide our lives and determine our direction. Nevertheless, we fall prey to our own desire to put ourselves in the shoes of those who lead us. We don’t necessarily make claims that we are as smart or as good as our leaders are — which would tend to pull them down from the pedestal that we place them on — but we come close to doing so in disagreement when we say “If it were up to me, I’d do something different.” If we are really upset or adamantly opposed to a particular action, we resort to criticisms that may become brutal. Yes, leaders get this and more. Along with the accolades comes the abuse, and it is just a function of playing out the role.

Some of our criticisms are deserved; of course, some are over the top, but to us they are real. How do leaders handle negative comments without becoming overwhelmed when they turn personal ? All of them do it differently. Some let it “run like water off a duck’s back,” while others internalize it and let it become depressing. I can think of two extremes here in terms of examples: Our current president, Barack Obama , seems to elevate himself to be above it all, leaving some to conclude that he is impervious to it — or, for that matter, that it never gets to his level. By contrast, former president Richard Nixon apparently let himself sink into the muck of everyday criticism and always seemed to be burdened by it, leaving the impression that he was in a constant state of “woe is me” depression. Other leaders respond in ways that are described by the leadership laity in colorful terms: They “develop thick skin,” “have no heart,” “don’t give a rat’s…” or they can just tell everyone to “go to hell and thump thunder.”

Leaders do care what others think and should hear the intent and meaning of criticism. Those who don’t usually don’t make it.

Leading From Behind

Leading from behind, or letting others think that they’re in front, is an important strategy in moving people to follow.  It is the leader’s job not just to tell people what to do, but also to help form some kind of consensus that makes people want to follow.  How this is done depends upon your personal touch as a leader, how you see and understand others, and how much you are able to get into the minds of those you lead.

Followers who are somewhat led to believe that they are leading when making their contributions are likely to want to move faster or more slowly, to be more liberal or conservative. They still look to the true leader for input, however, while the leader is waiting for the best time to enter the discussion.  Leading from behind suggests that in fostering consensus the leader brings all ideas together, adding thoughts to what has been deliberated to steer the decision in the desired direction without imposing it. Leading in this fashion clearly gives the impression that you are being led yourself. It is important that followers believe that ideas are theirs; personal ownership is decidedly important.

Leading from behind certainly requires charisma for one to be effective.  Not everyone has this ability. Most leaders can only lead from the front of the pack; they don’t fully understand what following is all about, nor do they understand that following involves more personal commitment than leading. Consider the following observations:

Genuine following occurs when your subjects, individually or collectively, understand and feel your presence.  As simple as this might appear to be, authentic following requires a commitment to what the leader believes. Making sure that those who follow your lead understand the character and content of your leadership is extremely important.  Following, like anything else that requires focus and concentration, can be influenced by distractions from other competing ideas and emotions from both within and outside.  Such distracted following lacks the genuine spirit that is required in corporate following.

Leaders therefore have a formidable task in bringing people as close as possible to the vortex of genuine following, to a place where they are literally drawn in and overcome by the  feeling that they’re being led by someone they trust. To lead effectively, you must carefully craft your words to encourage the follower — and, when appropriate, to create an awe in silence that will bait, cajole, and tease the emotions sufficiently to cause following to be a kind of submission to the leader’s will.    

Does this sound like leading is deceptive and manipulative? The answer is likely yes. But leadership is not all about a well-defined list of do’s and don’ts; there is often no playbook at all. What leaders learn about the human condition, and how they internalize it and understand it and feel it, is likely to set them apart from others.  Yes, this is what charismatic leadership is about; these leaders can lead from the front or from the rear.  It is not for everyone; it is indeed a unique talent.