Page 240 - The extraordinary leader

What Individuals Do to Become Great Leaders • 217

want anything to change. So the new dean continued to act exactly like a
faculty member and talk like a faculty member (including the inevitable
complaints about the university administration). In a few weeks, it became
obvious that this person would not succeed in his new role, because he was
unwilling to take on the requirements of the new office to which he had been
appointed.
That same scenario plays out in government organizations and in industry.
A leader must be willing to take that role, including all of the activities that a
person occupying that role is expected to engage in or perform.
The counterforce to taking the “role” of leader is that people at lower
levels in the organization resent arrogance from those in authority. They do
not like the leader who conveys an attitude of superiority, condescension, or
disrespect. The line between those two forces is a very fine one.
So, the counsel to all leaders is to maintain an attitude of humility. Be
willing to laugh at yourself. Do not flaunt the authority you have. Humil-
ity will make you approachable. It opens the door to building relationships.
The leader needs to find some mirror from which can be learned the way
others perceive your character. That mirror may be a good internal men-
tor. It could be a trusted colleague or subordinate. It could be an effective
360-degree feedback process. Whatever it is, leaders need to have some
sense about how people perceive their character. They need to know if they
are trusted. Without that, it is not possible to exert strong influence on a
work group.
Also, be cautious in the commitments you make, and then always deliver.
Be careful not to overstate or overpromise. We are sure that some are saying,
“But can people just improve their character?” “What’s the best way to make
changes in my fundamental personality or character?” The answer to that
question might be surprising to some. There has been a belief that the fol-
lowing chain exists:

Character Attitudes Behavior

The fact of the matter, however, is that people make their attitudes and ulti-
mately their character conform to their behavior. The place to begin is with
behavior. Thus, participating in powerful skill-building programs designed to
improve interpersonal skills will have a decided effect on attitudes of the
participants. When people learn and practice new behavior, there is a remark-
able transformation of their attitudes and ultimately their character:

Behavior Attitudes Character