Leadership Model
Leadership 101: Back to the Basics
It is my belief that there are leadership basics that are practiced in all successful organizations. This first became apparent to me while running my own business. As CEO of Adirondack Beverages, I instituted a total quality management (TQM) program. In the process, I studied other organizations with successful TQM programs. What I discovered was amazing! Even though organizations named their programs differently – “Pursuit of Excellence”, “TQM”, “Continuous Improvement” – they all had similar practices and programs. Through further exploration, I began to see that these basics extended well beyond TQM programs and into every facet of leadership. Throughout my career, I have attempted to implement these leadership basics.
After I sold my business, I decided to further pursue my education. As part of my doctoral studies, I reviewed the research on leadership. I began reading everything on leadership that I could get my hands on in the hopes of learning what the “experts” had to say about the basics of leadership. Interestingly, my review of the literature uncovered that there are surprisingly few articles that attempt to summarize the basics of leadership. In reading a hundred years worth of writing on the subject, I was able to identify some of the basics scattered here and there. However, no single model or theory captured these basics in one place.
How could this be? How can any profession or skill be taught without starting with the basics? I simply could not understand this. A hint came in one of my readings. According to one expert, there are over 860 definitions of leadership – each with its own explanation of what makes an effective leader. When you consider that experts can’t even agree on what leadership is, it is no wonder we have such a difficult time teaching managers how to lead. This all culminates with the ineffective leaders we see every day in the business and political world.