I sail. And recently, while a friend and I were sailing, we discussed how leaders are like ship’s captains.

He argued that leaders need to be in charge, much like a ship’s captain whose word is law and who is obeyed unquestioningly. The risks of shipwreck increase when the captain’s instructions to the crew are unclear and confusing, especially in times of changing weather conditions and unfamiliar waters. These conditions are like the dynamic economic situation we find ourselves in now.

He made sense.

I took a different tack. I argued that leaders are more like navigators who have to read the charts, assess the weather, and make decisions about what course will be best to reach port safely and quickly. The ability to assess the situation before taking action, and as conditions change, is critical to making the decisions that will ensure a safe and productive trip.

He told of a colleague who steered a business through a shift in market demand, the acquisition of two other firms, and the repositioning of the firm in the eyes of current and new customers. The colleague had to be clear and explicit about what he expected of the employees in order to alleviate their confusion and concerns and to provide them with something safe to hold on to while working through the transitions. Without a firm hand, the ship would flounder, my friend explained.

I countered with the story of a client, a senior executive in a Fortune Fifty company, who survived two acquisitions and who rose to the top position in his company by knowing how to read the political, financial, technical, and organizational factors swirling around him during his career and then by deciding on the best course to take that would benefit both the company and his career. His shrewd analytical skills helped him to steer a safe and successful course.

My friend, also a consultant, talked about his work as a marketing consultant. He advises companies on how to better understand their customers’ and prospects’ needs in order to better serve them. He finds that the only way he can be effective is if, after developing a solution, he tells them what to do. He does that by laying out a very specific execution plan for his clients to follow. When he is clear, directive, and precise his clients achieve their marketing goals. When he doesn’t tell them exactly what to do, they tend to miss the mark.

I recalled a former student who started and grew a successful IT consulting business partly because of her ability to assess the competitive landscape and find a niche her company could fill and by understanding the needs and expectations of the younger employees she was hiring in order to establish a corporate culture they found exciting, dynamic, and productive. Reading the signs around her helped her to lay out a plan that worked.

As you may have surmised, we eventually realized that it’s not one or the other. Leaders do not only provide clear direction as to what to do or only assess the situation in order to plan a course of action – they do both. In fact, the two responsibilities support one another. Without a thorough assessment, it’s not possible to tell people the right thing to do and without being clear and explicit, assessments do not lead to effective action.

I suspect that’s why many ships have both captains and navigators and a few are blessed with someone who can do both. Which are you?

In a management class I was teaching, one of the experienced leaders asked if every leader is driven? It seemed to him that most of his colleagues were driven, imbued with a tremendous drive to succeed and to excel. The company was very successful and he believed that a great deal of the success was attributable to the leaders who, like him, were driven to succeed.

We concluded that leaders in organizations are, for the most part, a self-selected group that has separated itself from the majority of employees who don’t want the responsibility of leadership and who may not have the same drive as leaders.

Does that mean that everyone else, those who are not leaders, is not driven? Not necessarily. Their drive may not pertain to work – family and other outside interests may take precedence. Or, their drive may not pertain to work in the same way as that of leaders. It may be focused on a more narrow and more personal understanding of work.

The danger for leaders is to believe that everyone else is just like them and is driven by the same things as the leaders.

Recently, my niece, a newly appointed college professor, asked if I could help her “be a better teacher.” After a while, I realized that I couldn’t help her become a better teacher.

It’s not that I couldn’t help her, but I that I don’t teach. I help leaders learn. What’s the difference?

The difference has to do with responsibility and perspective. Teaching occurs when someone decides what the student should know and then makes sure they know it. Learning occurs when the student decides what he or she wants to learn and figures out how to acquire that knowledge.

Most professors and leaders lecture – rather like trying to pour information into someone else’s head – they decide what others should know and then proceed to tell them that.

I help leaders learn – the leaders decide for themselves what is important for them to learn to become a better leader and then I help them to determine how they can best acquire that knowledge.

email: archie@archietinelli.com archie@archietinelli.com