Beyond Charisma

[Editor’s Note: Some advice is timeless, which is the case with this 1989 article by Thomas R. Horton, former president and CEO of American Management Association, from “Supervisory Management.”]

Many discussions about leadership focus on the “C” word, “charisma.” Yet I have known many charismatic people who are poor leaders and many non-charismatic ones who lead in exceptional ways. Charisma isn’t the key to leadership.

There are six other “C” words that are essential to a great leader:

Character. Integrity is the bedrock on which effective leadership is built. There is simply no substitute for the deeply felt need to draw a clear, bright ethical line that will not be crossed under any circumstance.

Course. An effective leader charts the course to a well-defined destination. Followers must have confidence in the course set by the leader and belief in the feasibility of reaching the proposed destination, but it is the leader who must have the courage to set that course.

Capabilities. In order to reach a desired destination, an organization must have the resources—human and other—that can make the journey a success. The leader sees to it that the team, department or division develops or acquires these needed capabilities and resources.

Communication. In today’s business environment, surprises are the rule, not the exception. Leaders must share information widely, particularly information about progress and challenges. Just as important, leaders need to seek opinions and ideas from employees. It is important to be a very skilled listener—to hear even that which people do not say—to understand what a person wants, without his saying it.

Collaboration. The sharing of information is only a start in collaboration. More important is the sharing of power. By retaining too much power, a leader diminishes others and creates a variety of problems—from simple time management to succession planning. But by sharing authority, a leader helps build a team. Paradoxically, the more one shares power, the more powerful one becomes. One-person rule, whether of a department or a company as a whole, is a concept of the past; management—and leadership—must become collaborative.

Credibility. Good leaders are believed in. Although all the elements of good leadership contribute to a leader’s credibility, the two most relevant “Cs” are character and consistency. Over time, people perceive integrity or the lack of it. If they know a leader to be an honorable, ethical person, they will be more inclined to have faith in what he or she says and does. Consistency is equally important. If the leader repeatedly changes direction or emphasis, soon people will learn not to take his or her pronouncements very seriously. Certainly, the leader must practice that which he or she preaches, too. The narrower the gap between words and action, the greater the credibility—the sina qua non of enduring leadership.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How many of these “C” words can be used to refer to you?
2. Do you truly lead your organization?
3. Are you perceived as a leader?
4. Have you thought through your own values clearly?
5. Are you strong enough to maintain those values through crises?
6. Are you setting a clear course for your organization?
7. Do you share information fully with those who can benefit from it?
8. Do you listen as carefully as you should?
9. Do you share power as well as information?
10. Do your people believe in you?