[May 5, 2016] It has been said that militaries win or lose partly on how well their generals lead but also on how well their soldiers follow. When leaders speak plainly they draw people to them. Great leaders are brutally honest, often very blunt in their words because they say what’s on their mind. They will always tell it like it is.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan once said, “Here’s my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.” There was no mincing of words because he was a patriot and only the truth mattered to him. And so it is with all great leaders. Those were the words of a leader, not a manager. The United States spiraled downward into a country-wide malaise under U.S. President Jimmy Carter but rebounded under Reagan. Carter was a fine manager, Reagan was a great leader.
When explaining the difference between good managers and good leaders, a smart businessman once said that a manager says, “go”, and a leader says, “let’s go.” The difference is fundamental but often overlooked in a complex world. Knowing when to manage and when to lead is an important distinction that only a few can artfully navigate. No surprise here that the U.S. Army Infantry School’s motto is “follow me” … it is a school for leaders.
A leader is measured by how effective they are in getting things done. It follows then, that to hide the purpose of an organization’s mission or tasks from those working there makes it much more difficult to get things done. Leaders who tell it like it is are simply being honest and straightforward. We call them “genuine” leaders; they are not scripted, they talk from their hearts not from a written speech or teleprompter.
Politicians today are rarely seen as genuine or effective leaders but more as managers. Trust in politicians is not just at an all time low worldwide but their popularity and trustworthiness continues to decline. This is why the political election in the United States currently has two political party outsiders doing so well against insiders.
By telling it like it is, leaders make it possible to set the direction of their organizations, allows them to speak bluntly, adhere to their core beliefs regarding appropriate behavior, and lead from the front. They walk the walk, they lead by example, they cheerlead for their organization, and they are genuine.
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