Posts that relate to teamwork and working together with and for a leader.
When you list adjectives that describe a leader, what words would be on that list?
For many of us, words like strong, determined and courageous would probably be near the top of the list, don’t you think? We like our leaders to be brave and strong and determined. Everyone loves a heroic character.
When you list adjectives that describe a highly functioning and successful team, what words would be on that list?
Are they the same sounding words?
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Ethos is a Greek word meaning “character” that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. Ethos forms the root of ethikos, meaning “moral, showing moral character”. Late Latin borrowed it as ethicus, the feminine of which is the origin of the modern English word ethics. Strong morals however, without a strong “Ethos”, will only create a pseudo leader in the eyes of subordinates, due to one’s inability to turn a decision into action, especially during a crisis situation, when there is no play book to follow, and the ability to seize the moment is a must. It is my belief that leadership strategists, to a degree, have ignored the cultivation of a leadership ethos, and have instead created moral compartmentalization, behaviors that focus on self preservation and careerism, which inevitably erodes the important foundation of trust between would-be leaders and their rank and file. In my opinion, this does nothing to encourage the “follow me” leadership attitude needed to move ahead in today’s challenging times.
Aristotle described “ethos” as a type of leadership in which a leader influences others to change their values, and thus their performance. A leadership ethos is not about what a person says or promises. It is about one’s presence, behavior, beliefs, and core leadership principles that affect how others will follow. A leadership ethos creates a personal “aura” that is attractive and one that others will turn to in time of need.
So what is a leadership ethos?
A leadership ethos is based upon principles rather than values. Principles are foundational and timeless, whereas values are usually derived from accepted norms whose underlying bases rely on contemporary wisdom of ideas of the day. Values tend to fluctuate with trends and conventional wisdom. Principles however, transcend time, feelings, and individual desires, and involve fundamental truths as the basis for reasoning or action.
In his book, “Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior”, Richard Marcinko (founder of SEAL Team Six) created his own leadership ethos which contained seven basic principles that include:
I leave you with one final thought on character. I once heard it defined as this: Your character is defined as how you act, and what you do, when nobody is watching, or how you treat people when you have no reason to treat them well.
I think to be a good leader, you have to be willing to be a good follower. One of the men I am following is Richard Marcinko. And that is a bit of my leadership ethos.
I am doing something this year that I have never done before. I am participating in a fantasy football league. It is an odd thing really. I don’t particularly care for professional football. But that is the subject for another time.
Currently I am in sixth place out of a league of ten teams. I am diligently trying to set my roster in such a way as to give me the greatest chance of success. A very good friend is managing another team. He is in last place.
And here is the odd part. One of the teams really isn’t being managed at all. In fact, the team was selected randomly and the roster has not even been tweaked since the opening weekend of football. He has made zero, zilch, nada changes to the roster. And that guy’s team is in seventh place! So you see, I am only slightly better than a team that was picked at random and is running on autopilot.
Now what does this little story have to do with leadership?
It has to do with a certain saying or cliche in our culture and in the football world. The saying in professional football is “On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team.” That is a paraphrase. But it is close enough. The thrust of the saying is that it is quite possible for even a less skilled or talented team to beat a better team. Mostly that is due to some random acts of weather and referees and how the ball tumbles and fumbles. And my little fantasy football league at work certainly bears that out. In fact the totally random team has a better record than 2 other teams that are trying very hard to compete and win each week.
So, as coaches, managers and leaders do we just let things happen by the luck of the draw? Do we just stand on the sidelines and watch the game as though we are spectators? If we do, we may not be in first place, but clearly we aren’t in last place.
No, I think this situation with the fantasy football is a bit of a statistical anomally. I firmly believe that studying the opponent, fielding a well trained team and exploiting any opportunities or mistakes that the other guys make is a better formula for success than idle randomness. And leadership is all about assessing the situation and leading a team to victory in an active and deliberate manner.
So, what do you think?
