Extraordinary Selfless Leadership
Friend of the Humble (Supper at Emmaus) by Léon-Augustin L'hermitte, 1892 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)
“History has shown us that character counts. Character above all.”
What a thrill ride it’s been lately!
In business, having multiple crises in a row can wear a team down; in the news industry, it is the fuel that runs the engine.
As we continue to chart the timelessness of human nature, particularly about leaders, the last few weeks’ entries have been almost prescient, sticking the landing with yesterday’s announcement from President Biden. More on that in a moment.
Last week, I bemoaned how exhausting it is to live in extraordinary times (albeit something every generation has a claim to), and then provided a guide to surviving uncertainty.
The week before, the topic was ambition: how to take pride in your work as you commit to excellence, and how to find happiness and success in your chosen work.
And just before that, I covered leadership as a calling, particularly knowing when to pack it in, following it up with an essential essay on the importance of character.
Yesterday’s sudden announcement by President Biden that he would not accept his party’s nomination for the presidency seemed to be the culmination of all of those topics.
He wrote, in part:
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
This message is a powerful reminder of the kind of leader and the kind of man Joe Biden is: decent, humble, honorable, and one who places his country’s interest over his own pride and ambition.
We’ve seen previous examples of how he cares about the people who work for him, such asn an extraordinary memo expressing his desire that they prioritize their families over work.
But this is the ultimate move in a life devoted to public service. Like George Washington, who set the example for future presidents, he recognized that it was time to move on and that his country would be better served if he stood aside.
It’s difficult to overstate how difficult and rare this is, particularly in the world of politics, where power is intoxicating and ego is everything.
It is often derided as a sign of weakness, but in fact, humility is a sign of strength. It takes great wisdom and empathy to think of others.
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.”
Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders
“The most important thing a leader can do, Scott,” Alan Mulally told me when he was CEO of Ford, “is to prepare the next generation of leaders.”
Your position — whether you’re a public servant, a corporate leader, or a parent — is temporary. Leaders are part of an organization, and the organization will continue to exist and thrive after you’re gone.
It’s as humbling as it is sobering. Leadership is the ultimate service job. You are chosen to serve others, to keep their best interests in mind, not yours.
It takes an emotionally intelligent leader to understand that. Self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy are at play as you coach and cajole, teach and train, manage and motivate.
Through it all, you know it’s not about you. It’s about something bigger than you.
And that requires selfless leadership.
There’s so much to learn,
