I thought I should begin my first post on the topic of leadership.  People I know always seem to have mixed feelings about the term “leadership”.  What does it really mean, and does it truly matter? 

Perhaps it may be easier to contemplate the opposite, what happens in the absence of leadership?  In some circumstances, especially within small, tight circles, teams can actually function perfectly well without a designated leader.  This is true when almost everyone in the team is self-motivated, accepts accountability for the outcome and strives towards a similar goal.  Sometimes, there almost seems to be an ”electrifying chemistry” within a team, that acts like an invisible hand, directing and coordinating work in such an efficient manner that a leader can seem truly superfluous. 

However, such small, well-coordinated teams are probably the exception rather than the norm.  The challenge is how to maintain this coordination and single-mindedness as the team expands and more diverse personalities are added to the mix.  Past a certain point, teams and organizations can only sustain their success with strong leadership.

How do we tell when leadership is absent in an organization?  I will list 7 most serious tell-tale signs that the corner office is becoming irrelevant.

1.  Everyone knows there is a problem but nobody is willing to confront it.

2.  Everyone has a different view on what should be done and works separately to achieve their own objectives.

3.  People become comfortable with compromising, middle-of-the-road solutions that satisfies everyone and no one.

4. Taskforces are formed to investigate the same issue over and over again without any resolution.

5. Consultants are hired.  A whole army of them.

6. People who talk about the elephant in the room are sent to the zoo.

7. The CEO cringes when the organization’s mission statement is read out.

Undoubtedly, with a strong system of well-defined processes in place, an organization can muddle along for a long long time without a leader.  However, decay will inevitably set in, slowly eating up the organization from within.  When a crisis hits, a multi-billion dollar company can  sink faster than you can say “Lehman”!

Do you have any tell-tale signs of poor or absent leadership to share?