Movies have a way of infiltrating our way of thinking, especially when it comes to leadership and influence. Sometimes this is not always useful.
One persistent meme is that of the Warrior Leader. The Warrior Leader is heralded as someone to admire. Their influence is remarkable. They can inspire others to put themselves in harm’s way for the sake of a cause.
Leadership warriors can either win rights or win at all cost
The Warrior Leader image pervades all of our stories, past and present.
There is good reason for this. A warrior leader fights to win rights. What is ‘right’ can be contentious. In this context we mean fundamental human rights. These rights make the individual’s life better, and as such the whole of society improves. It sounds noble and virtuous.
A Warrior Leader has many strengths:
Ferocious commitment to a cause
Values-driven decisions
Win rights
Courage under fire
Tenacity
Self sacrifice
Passion and vision.
What’s not to like?
Warrior leaders are incredibly seductive. They fight for a noble cause, they reduce issues to black and white ideals, and they self-sacrifice gallantly, leading the way. That kind of energy is attractive, regardless of the morality.
Beware of the trap of the Shadow Warrior - The Bully.
Bully Warrior Leaders are divisive. They build walls, not bridges. They exclude, don’t include. They see more threat and less opportunity. They see winners, and losers. It’s a zero sum game. They dress up reasons for battle as a ‘cause’. Then they draw imaginary lines between “us” and “them.” They make it a struggle between good vs bad.
Bully Warrior Leaders are obsessed with results. They create Win First Cultures. They play to win and targets are everything. While these cultures can have a huge work ethic, they can turn bad quickly. Australian Cricket was cited as having a ‘win without considering the costs’ attitude. So did many of the banks who fell to unethical practices just to meet targets.
Leadership influence is a big responsibility
These are the risks of the Bully Warrior - a key influence trap:
We fight for results to the detriment of others
We become bent on an Us vs Them where it is destruction of the other
We fall to win at all costs or in spite of the costs
Our gain harms others
We build walls instead of bridges.
The Bully Warrior looks an awful lot like a Warrior Leader: strong talk, ‘noble’ cause, tough stance. Both are in for a fight. Be mindful of what the fight is about!
Are you fighting to win or fighting to win rights? Do you see your opposition as the enemy or possible future collaborators? Does your gain help or hinder others?
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What to do when your senior leaders suck at people management
Your two key responsibilities as a senior leader
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About the author, Canberra leadership expert Zoë Routh:
Canberra based leadership expert, Zoe Routh, discuss why leadership influence is a big responsibility.
Zoë Routh is one of Australia’s leading experts on people stuff - the stuff that gets in our way of producing results, and the stuff that lights us up. She works with the growers, makers, builders to make people stuff fun and practical.
Zoë is the author of four books: Composure - How centered leaders make the biggest impact, Moments - Leadership when it matters most, Loyalty - Stop unwanted staff turnover, boost engagement, and build lifelong advocates, and People Stuff - Beyond Personalities: An advanced handbook for leadership. People Stuff was awarded Book of the Year 2020 by the Smart WFM Australian Business Book Awards.
Zoë is also the producer of The Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast.