Wearing a Mask? Leadership is More than Power.

Perry Maddox reflects on the trouble with confusing power for leadership and explores the masks that weak leaders wear to project power.

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“We couldn’t believe you let us use your first name.”

Not long ago, I met with a team of young leaders in Tanzania.   

They had come together from several African countries to evaluate a massive investment from one of the world’s biggest donors. They were a seriously impressive group, leading important work. 

Our session together was a  joy.  They filled me with sharp insight, ideas and encouragement. They seemed to enjoy what I shared too, although I’m always in deficit when I meet talent like this.

Later on that evening, a few of them told me: 

“We were surprised you came into the room without an entourage.”  

Beware Those Who Seek Power in Leadership.

Why would it be surprising that I was friendly? That I didn’t shield myself from these young leaders?  That’s nothing special.  It’s basic human decency.

Yet, it’s rare for many power-holders. 

So many self-styled leaders embrace a Big Man approach to leadership.  Yes, I’ve written “big man” there rather than “big people”, because men exhibit this problem most.  Sadly, all genders can fall in this trap.

You know the type, all too ready to remind you of their power.  

We see them in government all the time.  They’re easy to spot in the business world, often becoming celebrities for their terrible behaviour.  Sadly, we find them in social change organisations too.  

Leaders who need to remind you of their power are hiding something.  Usually it’s weak leadership.

They say big man, I say weak sauce.

Three Masks that Weak Leaders Wear.

To spot these folks, look out for:

• Vanity masquerading as leadership.  All too happy to call attention to themselves, they like to be the face of the organisation, to sit at the high table, to show up late, to give rambling speeches, to take credit, and to talk over others. 
• Insecurity masquerading as superiority. Easy to identify by the barriers they put up – formal titles and protocols, entourages of gatekeepers surrounding them, membership in private clubs, elitist language – they make a show of being “better” than you and me.
• Incompetence masquerading as authority. They lead cultures of bullying and intimidation, demotivating people and making them sick.  Behind them, they leave a vacuum because staff growth was stunted in their shadow.  

No matter the mask they wear, these leaders share one fundamental belief that undermines them. They think that power is leadership.   They fail to understand that a title and power do not a leader make.   

Quite the opposite. Pure leadership is the ability to influence people without power.  

Can you inspire peers to change how they act?  Are you able to manage people more senior to you when you have no authority?  Can you unleash talent below you, confident that their success doesn’t undermine you but rather leads to your collective success?  

That’s leadership.  And you don’t need an entourage to make it happen.  

Put the Gun Down.

Imagine pointing a gun at somebody, demanding they do something.  The person would usually comply.  That’s not leadership.  It’s coercion.

Yet many leaders spend their days building that “gun.”  Wearing power suits.  Encouraging the cult of their celebrity.  Bullying or intimidating staff.  Building hierarchy and protocol. Walking with an entourage.

It’s an easy trap into which to fall.

I see it happen to social change leaders.  The campaigner venerated as if a celebrity.  The star CEO who loves the limelight.  The founder who won’t let go.  It becomes about them. 

I see it happen to young leaders.  The first time they get into a room of power-holders, you feel the fresh perspective they bring.  Months later, some have become the thing they came to change, speaking differently, collecting allowances, enforcing protocols, and using the platform to self-promote. 

I see it happen in myself.  I run 5 minutes late to every meeting, disrespecting my teams.  Drinking too much coffee, I over talk.  I build schedules so busy that I lack time to connect with the team.

We don’t always do it on purpose.  

Avoid the Trap of Power in Leadership.

Chances are, you’re no fan of Big Man leadership.  Me neither.

To avoid that trap, take a look in the mirror every now and then.  

Ask yourself if you might be wearing a mask or building a power imbalance unintentionally.  As you succeed in your leadership journey, ask the question more and more frequently.  

Let yourself worry about this.   Surround yourself with people who help you keep it in perspective. I promise that asking the question and listening to the answer will make all the difference. 

Then watch how the room reacts when you walk in as an equal, without the trappings of power or celebrity.  

Leave the entourage at home.