Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Trust, Elections and Leadership

It has long been a contention of mine that the only commodity for which there is a real shortage is leadership. In all domains, world-wide, the most pressing constraint on dynamic change is effective leadership. Now there is no shortage of people who want to be in charge, give orders and manage or administer things: but they are not empowering change in others, inspiring people to be their best nor facilitating development and growth. The former want to exercise power: leadership is about exercising character.

The most important aspect of leadership is resonance: setting the basis by which others are most effective. This post highlights one of the defining characteristics for effective leadership in politics: trust.

Trust and how it is communicated greatly affects the ability of leaders to change dominant mind sets. It also is a pervasive characteristic of leadership in all domains, whether it is the effectiveness of a coach (such as the Raptors Sam Mitchell or Liverpool's Rafa Benitez) or the ability of an individual player to inspire a team (like Steven Gerrard) or epitomise a team ethos (like Jamie Carragher).
  • basketball and the Raptors are one passion, a lifelong support for Liverpool continues especially with today's Championship Final (soccer).
  • why the sports metaphor? Because good coaching is all about leadership. Because individual talent doesn't win championships and titles: teams do. Groups are not teams. Teams require an understanding of people skills and mostly, they require leadership.
There is no sustainability without teams; no teams without leadership, and; no leadership without trust.

see
: Fullan and Doppelt.