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Kevin Bowser

Leader -|- Follower -|- Guide

I am the husband of a beautiful and wonderful woman. I am the father of two of the greatest kids on the planet. I am a father-in-law to a great young woman. And I am Papa to three very special grandchildren. In my spare time I am an active blogger and writer. And if there is any time left over, I work with small non-profit organizations and churches on the topics of change management, crisis intervention and leadership development.

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Abraham Lincoln and Leadership

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Abraham LincolnThere is a lot of renewed interest in Abraham Lincoln these days.  In fact, a movie about him has just been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.  So, what is the deal with Lincoln?  Was he really the greatest president of all time?

Donald T. Phillips wrote a book in 1993 entitled, Lincoln on Leadership.  The subtitle was Executive Strategies for Tough Times.  In that book he provides significant insight into leadership principles that Lincoln exhibited and cultivated in others.  Phillips points out many unique qualities of Lincoln.  He also focuses on what he calls The Lincoln Principles.  He goes on to develop Lincoln’s Principles of Character, Principles of Endeavor, and Principles of Communication.  I don’t have time to develop each of these.  But, I recommend the book if you are interested in pursuing this line of thought on a political figure that has become a pop culture figure again of late.

One characteristic that caught my eye was the fact that Lincoln is the only U.S. president to hold a U.S. Patent.  Lincoln received a patent for a method of making a certain kind of boat more buoyant.  Not all that remarkable in and of itself.  But it demonstrates that Lincoln was creative.  He was not just a “community organizer”. 

He was not only creative; he was also a great developer of leadership intelligence and information from those around him.  Lincoln was keenly aware that people (his cabinet and his military leaders) were the major source of information and that in order for him to be a great leader he had to stay close to them.  But being close to them was not enough.  He needed the relationship to be real and intimate.  He built those relationships by holding more informal meetings with these people than formal meetings. 

What is the leadership principle here? 

Stay close to your people.  Maintain multiple informal touch points with your staff.  Walk over to their office and sit down in their space.  And talk to them about their world, their families, and their interests.  Lincoln demonstrated this principle of the value of the human being throughout his life.  Let me paraphrasing what Phillips says.  He says that the foundation of Lincoln’s leadership style was an unshakeable commitment to the rights and personal worth of the individual. 

May it be said of me that I hold the worth of my team and my fellow man in the highest regard.

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When following is actually leading

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Three Wise MenThere is a powerful image that each of us have of the Three Wise Men kneeling at the manger in Bethlehem. These men have been known in song as “kings”. You remember the song, don’t you?

“We three kings of Orient are . . .”

Now, whether or not they really were kings is not a matter that I care to debate today. They were probably more likely some sort of religious or scholarly leader from distant lands. The point for me to make is that they were recognized leaders of some sort or another. And the image that we have of them from Christmas pageants over the years is an image of them arriving and kneeling at the manger and presenting their gifts.

But integral to the story is the fact they were also “followers”. They followed a star. And that star led them to the Baby Jesus. Let’s say it again. These leaders were also followers. Had they not been willing to put their own agendas and egos aside and become followers, they would have missed the single most important event in all of human history.

Here is the leadership trait that I want to emphasize today. Great leaders must be willing to become great followers from time to time. And the paradox of leadership is that we are really both simultaneously. And when we cease to be a follower, we cease to be effective as a leader. And the result of following that star provided these three men with an experience that was transformational and one that needed to be communicated to others.  So, according to Biblical records, these three leaders returned to their homes by a different route to avoid King Herod who was bent on destroying the baby who had been born to be the real One to follow.

What about you? Have you shown an ability to follow as well as lead?

And are you following someone or something worthy of being followed?

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What Would Winston Do?

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Winston Churchill and the TroopsIt was once very popular to wear jewelry with the letters WWJD that asked an important question – “What would Jesus do?”  That is a valid and valuable question to ask oneself when addressing life’s challenges.  But what about addressing the challenges of leadership?  I would posit that Winston Churchill and his leadership style would be a good reference for the rhetorical question:

“What would Winston do?”

What would Winston do when he tried to migrate his old blog to a new domain?  – – Oh wait.  I guess Winston Churchill had a little bit tougher problems than my silly website issues to deal with in fighting the Axis powers.

One thing I know for sure.  Winston Churchill would never give up.  He would not surrender.  He would not back down in the face of adversity.  Rather, he would stiffen his British upper lip and he would stand firm.  

The leadership principle here is steadfastness.  Some would call it stubbornness.  But in a more positive light you would have to call it steadfastness.

So, what about you?  What do you do when the going gets tough?  What do you do in the face of overwhelming adversity?  Let’s make the questions a little more personal and targeted to this audience.

  • Businessman – Are you steadfast in your commitment to integrity in your business deals?
  • Young father – Are you steadfast in your resolve to place a priority on being an influence in your children’s lives while they are young and achieving a balance in your life where your family is concerned?
  • Husband – Are you steadfast in your love for your wife and hold her up as something more precious than rubies?
  • Teacher – Are you steadfast in your role as an educator and influencer of the next generation of citizens?
  • Grandparent – Are you steadfast in your role in supporting young families by being a receptive ear and broad shoulder on which someone can lean?

Let’s not over-analyze Churchill’s life and legacy.  His own family situation was a bit of a train wreck.  But, the point I wish to make is that we can draw inspiration from historical figures and we can extract positive characteristics from ultimately flawed characters.  And here is perhaps the fundamental difference between the two characters.  Jesus’s character was not flawed.  And He can be the perfect inspiration and example for you and I.

 

Image of Winston Churchill in the public domain.
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Is leading a quiet activity or a loud activity?

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SsshhhThat is a strange question. Isn’t it?

Here is what I mean. Is real leadership something that you can undertake without ever raising your voice?

My son’s kindergarten teacher was Mrs. McGrath. She was a very soft-spoken woman. In fact, whenever she needed to get the children’s attention she would whisper. No matter what was going on in the classroom and no matter how rowdy the children were, she would stop what she was doing and speak in a voice that was nearly a whisper. And one by one the children would quiet down and come over to where she was standing or sitting and would get as close to her as they could. Why? Because they wanted to know what great secret she was about to share with them.

Now contrast that with the drill sergeant that assisted my dad through basic training during the Korean War. There was probably not a lot of whispering going on there. In fact that drill sergeant probably got up close and personal and spoke in such a way as there was no way my dad misunderstood what he was saying.

Two very distinctive communication styles. Both individuals were demonstrating great leadership. But it would be hard to find two more opposite styles.

So, is leadership a quiet or loud activity?

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Who inspires you to be a leader?

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We have launched the blog with some fairly challenging and thought provoking articles.  I say “Thank you” to those of you who are actively participating so far.  That seems altogether appropriate on this morning after Thanksgiving. You have been some of the first to step up and put your thoughts down “on paper” for others to read and to open yourself to others comments.

But I am trying to build momentum in the conversation and draw more into the flow.  And I wondering this morning about a question of inspiration.  My question is this.

Who inspires you to become a great leader?

I don’t necessarily mean a well known or a popular leader. And I am not necessarily looking for the overtly religious answer.  But who is your source of inspiration for leadership?  Who do you look to for guidance?  Who do you feel is demonstrating practical and functional expertise in the various areas of leadership?

The follow-up question is obvious.  Why are they an inspiration?  What about them inspires you?

Winston-ChurchillI will be brave and provide one of my favorite leaders of all time.  He is Winston Churchill.  Recently read a very short biography of his life.  He was indeed a very colorful character and led a very interesting life.  I am not endorsing his style or his activities in all facets of life.  As many know, his family situation was a bit of a train wreck.  But when Great Britain, and indeed the western world, needed a stalwart and steadfast leader, Winston Churchill had positioned himself in such a way that he could lead that nation through its darkest hour and in to its finest hour.  His attitude of high expectation and never give up spirit inspired a nation and the world to overcome the aggressive Nazi savagery and that nation helped put an end to World War II.

Now what about you?  Who inspires you?  And why do they inspire you?  What is an example of their leadership that comes to your mind quickly when you think of that person?

 

 

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Leadership begins at home

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Simple HouseIf I believe anything about leadership, it is this.  Leadership begins at home.

But just what does that mean?

I believe that it means that the primary place for leadership to be modeled and for it to flourish is in the context of home life.  As a husband it is my responsibility to be the Spiritual leader of my home.  That is a topic that I know someone will develop much more fully than I will at this point.  But suffice it to say that being a leader in this area is unlike any other leadership role.

But there is more leadership to be modeled in the home.  The role of father is also unlike any other.  Again, this is way too important to cover this briefly.  But here is a tidbit.  It has been said that the greatest gift a father can give his children is to really love their mother.  Here is leadership by example of the highest magnitude.

We are only scratching the surface of the topic of leadership in the home.  And this is obviously only a male perspective.  But I am posting this to further probe the various aspects of leadership that we need to explore.  The role of wife and mother is equal in significance to that of husband and father.  Equal, but very different.  And that difference and equality is part of the mystery of how we are made as men and women.

Who will be brave and begin to develop this a little further?

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On Any Given Sunday

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NFL FootballI 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?

 

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Veteran’s Day

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Today, in the U.S., it is Veteran’s Day.  And I have several family members and close friends who have worn the uniform of the United States of America.  Although it is not my intention to turn this dialog into one that is centered on the military.  But, I would be remiss if I failed to reflect on the the subject of leadership while in the shadow of Veteran’s Day.

So, I will take as non-partisan approach as I possibly can and make it short and sweet as I reflect on leadership within the context of the military.

A colleague and very dear friend at work has a quote anchored in the signature block of every email that he sends.  It is a quote by General George S. Patton.  That quote is this:

Patton Quote 1

I plan to spend a great deal of time in the coming days dealing with many aspects of leadership.  But, I don’t ever want to lose sight of the fact that sometimes as a leader we must stand back and let our “troops” do what they have been trained to do or what they can figure out using their God-given talents and abilities.  This may sound a little laissez-faire or soft to you.  I don’t think anyone would ever confuse “Old Blood and Guts” with someone who was soft.  So, if he was willing to adopt this approach from time to time, then there must be a leadership principle in there somewhere.

Don’t you think?