Have you noticed how conditioned we are to think of our leaders ? political, organisational, religious, social ? as charismatic individuals and the epitome of what we should all become? Most of our current business thinking and language has evolved indeed around the image of the leader as a strong, omnipotent and popular person ? someone out in the front, leading his or her troops, galvanizing the forces and spurring them into action so that success or victory can be achieved.

Some time back, I was saying to my youngest son, ?If you intend to learn the language of business and leadership in particular, you?ll soon have to become familiar with war-like terms such as ?leading at the forefront?, ?pushing for and achieving results?, ?beating the competition?, ?motivating others?, and so on.? And then I stopped and said to myself, ?Hey, what are you doing to this kid by regurgitating mechanically the brainwashing that you yourself have endured all your business life??

We have indeed been conditioned to think of our leaders as a cross between some God-like figure and an army general. Whether we think of Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton, the Pope, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Paul Bérenger or Tim Taylor, our image is always one of a person who commands. Whether we like them or not is of course entirely subjective ? what matters is the fact that we revere or fear them because they are or were, out there in the front, leading.

So I said to my son, ?We need to be careful here ? not all of us do agree that a leader?s job is to be out there at the front, leading.? He frowned, puzzled. ?You see,? I went on, ?there?s a harsh reality in all this. You can?t lead people unless they believe in you and are willing to follow you. And to believe in you and follow you, you?ll have to ensure that first and foremost they trust you. And for them to trust you, you?ll have to not only deliver the results that you promised but bring out in them their own sense of worth and value.? ?And how do you do that?? he asked. ?By getting to know their strengths and weaknesses and by getting to know your own strengths and weaknesses.? ?It all sounds very complicated,? he muttered.

It does indeed ? but there is no other way. The key to sound leadership, as so many out there have observed, is not only for us leaders to ?lead at the front? and communicate our vision, strategies and action plans ? but to also know how and when to be ?back among? as well. It is also to know what it means to be an ordinary ?planton? doing his rounds; a secretary coping with a heavy workload or an irritated boss; a Supervisor struggling with absenteeism or a Marketing Manager coping with an aggressive client. If we succeed in adopting this ?back among? perspective, we begin to see the company or department as our employees, customers or suppliers see it. The outcome is an outpour of empathy. And when our employees, customers and suppliers realize that we know, understand and attach much importance to their needs, wants and problems, they will respond with commitment and going the extra mile. But be warned: it requires much courage and humility for us to go against the conventional myth of leadership and to think of ourselves as ?back among? our employees as it means letting go our ego and its needs for authority, respect and control.

<B>Prof E. Charoux

[email protected]</B>