What it Takes to Lead

By D. Keith Pigues 

October 2010

Much has been written and spoken about leadership. There are wide ranging views on whether leaders are made or born, if the best are purely visionary or hands-on, as well as many other electric issues related to leadership.

While the discussion and debate on leadership issues will likely continue into the next century, there is one question that I believe trumps all the others in getting to the heart of the matter of leadership: What do leaders really do? The Harvard Business Review article titled, "What Leaders Really Do" written by John P. Kotter provides timeless guidance to all eager or reluctant leaders. The vintage article, circa 2001, is as relevant today in the midst of recovery from the recession and financial crisis as it was when it was written in the dot-com bust era.

There is no shortage of writings on leadership and every leadership guru has a perspective or new leadership model. I turn to Kotter's wise sage advice as the first order of business for MBAs in the Elected Student Leaders course I teach at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.  For these exceptionally gifted MBA students that are elected or appointed to lead campus organizations, the truths in this article provide meaningful guidance as they cross the chasm from individual contributors or managers to the often misunderstood and sometimes lonely island of leadership.

Even the experienced and successful leader can benefit from a refresher of Kotter's guiding principle: "Management is about coping with complexity...Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change." The stark contrast between these two disciplines provides a 'cause for pause', particularly for those entering the ranks of leadership for the first time. Those who approach the awesome responsibility of leadership with a belief that it is merely an extension of management find a rude awakening.

Leaders are faced with the arduous task of providing the vision, motivation, guidance and support to move people through the process of change to achieve a desirable result - one achievable only with effective leadership. New muscles may be called upon to provide the strength and energy to fuel a leader's success. The management activities of planning and budgeting are replaced by a leader's direction setting. Organizing and planning give way to the critical leadership responsibility of aligning people. And probably the greatest challenge managers face in crossing the chasm from management to leadership is resisting the temptation to control activities and solve problems in favor of motivating and inspiring others.