H. Martin Lancaster
President, North Carolina Community College System
Peace College, Raleigh
June 13, 2001
Good morning. It is indeed a privilege to be among such a great looking group this morning. I congratulate each of you for being here. Your being nominated and selected to participate in these six days of leadership training is an accomplishment of which you should be very proud. I know that each of you has special gifts and talents; this week, you will learn ways to share those talents as leaders.
You have probably guessed or figured out that the topic I wish to speak about this morning is leadership. In my many lives I have been blessed with opportunities and responsibilities that have provided me with many wonderful experiences. However, my current position as president of the North Carolina Community College System that has provided me with the most rewards. I can truly say that thus far, I have enjoyed more this challenging assignment more than any other.
President Harry S. Truman once said, "Leadership is that quality which can make other people do what they do not want to do, and like it."
Is this elusive quality something that a chosen few are born with or is it a skill that can be learned and practiced? I strongly believe that the best leaders throughout history have combined certain God-given instincts with thoughtful study and persistent practice to make themselves the leaders that history has chosen to recognize.
To live up to Truman’s ideal of leadership, a person must combine many different traits so as to inspire respect and kindle the spark of motivation in the hearts of one’s followers.
I would like to share with you some of what I have learned from individuals that I have worked with through the years as well as lessons from first hand experiences.
I have learned the a good leader needs to be trusted, in order to be followed. Just as important, a good leader must able to trust others. Henry Stimson, former Secretary of War, once said, "To make a man trustworthy, first you must trust him."
Being a good leader means being a good servant. Effective service is more than just desire but like all worthy endeavors requires preparation and development of god given talents, such as intelligence and personality.
Another trait that may require development is awareness, a curiosity and desire to know what is going on. Leaders and servants should be "sharply awake and reasonably aware." That’s one of my favorite quotes from Larry Spears' book on the concept of "servant leadership." I think what that means is that the true leader rarely uses, "I didn’t know about it; nobody told me" as an excuse for inaction. Part of the responsibility of leadership is the task of knowing as well as doing. If you have not studied Spears’ work, I urge you to seek it out as you continue your leadership training.
However, awareness without empathy is meaningless. Empathy is the ability to put oneself in the shoes of another. This should be followed by having the heart to address those problems and envision solutions as well as to see the future.
Get involved; do not be satisfied with "sitting on the bench." Get in the game! "Just do it" and "Play Hard" are quotes that we often hear in reference to athletics. However, I feel that they are applicable to this context this morning. Leaders feel a sense of urgency in whatever they do. A strong leader will always be more interested in tackling a tough problem today rather than tomorrow.
Taking the initiative is the first step to leadership because taking the first step puts you out in front of everyone else—and makes you a leader. Take the extra step, go the extra mile. Be proactive rather than reactive. Volunteer in your church, school, or community. But also remember to not spread yourself too thin; learn to say no politely.
You must also remember that you can never accomplish all that you can alone. You must develop and be aware of the need to inspire and persuade others to see the problem and embrace the solution. Don’t be like Tom Sawyer painting the fence. Sure, he tricked his friends into painting the fence, but instead of a feeling of accomplishment they might have felt if he had joined them in their work, they felt only resentment. A good leader is a good worker too. Hard work is important; nothing is ever accomplished without great effort.
A good leader is also a good follower. Realize that others may know more than you do and be able to do things that you may not. Ted Turner has a sign above his office door that reads "Lead, follow or get out of the way." A leader needs to have sufficient confidence in what they are saying so that potential followers will be convinced. The best way to convince people is to speak with authority. If that authority is matched by knowledge then the chances for leadership are enhanced.
On the other hand, never be ashamed or afraid to step aside and allow others who may be more qualified to do the job. As the saying goes, "Every person that you meet knows something that you don’t; learn from them." You will find that the more you know the less you fear. With knowledge of the unknown comes new understanding. New understanding brings about appreciation.
A good leader is not fearful. In his first inaugural address during the depths of the depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." The only thing to overcome to be a leader is fear. I think that fear is what prevents many people from becoming effective leaders. Fear of not doing or saying the right thing. Fear of failure. Fear of not being accepted. Fear of not being liked by others.
All of our great leaders have felt these same fears. All of our leaders have face apprehension. Reflecting on these makes it evident that there is a path, a course to leadership that is already marked.
Never rest on your laurels for too long. Don’t worry about the credit. Be eager to move on to the next challenge and embrace it with all your heart and effort. Remember that a lot was accomplished before we were born!
Have integrity in all that you do. Embrace change but do not let go of your values. Do not be consumed with what others may think about your actions. Always be concerned with what you truly feel is right and fair. Remember that what is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right. Realize that you will make mistakes. Realize that regardless of how many times you are right, you will sometimes be wrong. When you realize that you have made a mistake, take steps to correct it and learn from it.
A leader strengthens others. The current buzzword for this is empowerment. This trait involves the active encouragement of others to be, as the old Army recruiting ad once said "all you can be." A good leader does not seek to impose his or her own attitudes or solutions on others. Rather, the leader provides the support and guidance that prompts others to have confidence in their own decision-making and abilities.
Finally, lead by example, the best leaders need fewer words than most, because they lead with their lives. Expect more from yourself than anyone could demand.
These traits lie in each of us, in you and me, waiting to be developed. I wish each of you the very best in developing them. You have begun or continued the process of developing these and other wonderful leadership traits this week at this program.
Thank you, and good luck!
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