Ideas & Opinions

The Psychology of Leadership

Johnny Lake

Leadership is often presented as a base of knowledge, an area of expertise or a skill-based activity. It may be practiced or modeled in artificial experiential challenges that simulate real-life leadership demands. But leadership is not only about what a leader may know or understand. It is not only about the intellectual capacity or thinking ability, it is not just about what is in their head. Beyond the knowledge, expertise and skills that a leader may actually possess, leadership is also about what a leader can and will do with what is in his head.

True leadership is actually centered on strong psychological grounding as a foundation for accepting and opening up, operating under the tenuous, changing and fluid demands of organizational and institutional change. They embrace change and discordance as vital characteristics of progress. This kind of leadership expects and seeks out diversity of ideas and thought and recognizes it own limitations. The true leader sees different thinkers and actors as a necessary complement their own abilities and skills. They recognize and humbly accept the single fact that they cannot do it all or control everything without the support and help of others. This authentic leader operates from a position of confidence and authority based on a solid ethical foundation, a strong personal belief and a desire to do the right thing. He of she recognizes the need for cooperation and teamwork. They understand that consistent and effective communication is required to truly lead others. True leadership accepts that it is the leader’s role to take the first step out onto the limb. They understand that they are the one who must take the calculated risk and bravely enters first the area of the unknown, a witness to others that it can be done. The true leader is aware that failure is a constant shadow that clouds every decision and that when the limb does break, the fault will be seen as the responsibility of the leadership.

Moreover, to seek the status quo is not a characteristic of true leadership, even if the status quo is defined as success. The authentic leader does not operate from a rut, but seeks, explores and defines new paths for action and expression of new ideas, new thought and new ways of doing things. True leadership does not discard previous knowledge of accepted fact, but incorporates and utilizes the base of knowledge and experience to build upon, seeking to elevate and improve performance and results in that area.

The above demands and challenges are the foundations of good and effective leadership. Interestingly it is this kind of leader that finds the most resistance to the practice of ethical, fair and broadminded decision-making. It is with this leadership profile that a leader finds the most barriers to his or her expression but without these characteristics potential leaders will falter or even fail.

Johnny Lake, BA, Writer, counselor and keynote speaker helping professional groups become aware of attitudes and increase their knowledge to better participate and function in a multicultural society. His diversity trainings help people to communicate across cultures and to be successful in their personal, social and civic interactions. He is Chair, Oregon Governor’s Commission on Black Affairs, and Educational Chair of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He can be reached through his web site www.johnnylake.com.