Leading from the Back

Leading from the Back:

A leaf from Nelsons' book!

By Maria Noone - April 2010 

"People will get on board with a leader who will take
them where they want to go." John C Maxwell.

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Over time, a person's name might resonate in your mind as a stand-out human being. For me it seems to be Nelson Mandela. In 2004 my husband interviewed NZ photographer Simon Woolf who worked as an official photographer for the CHOGM Conference, held in Auckland in 1995 when Nelson Mandela was in New Zealand on a state visit.

Anyone who knows a photographer, will understand they have a sharp sense of observation. Their entire focus is on the subject, so as to capture the essence of what they see and tell a story in one photograph. What Simon consistently found as he followed, observed, interacted and photographed Mandela during this visit, was this great sense of admiration and awe that preceded and surrounded him every time he came in contact with people – whether they were a dignitary, a servicemen, a policeman, an adult or child or just a person in the crowd.    

I recall this interview fondly, because recently I was sent a link to TIME online where Richard Stengel, Managing Editor of TIME has a brief narration of the life and leadership of Nelson Mandela. Amongst it are eight of Mandela's lessons of leadership. And, although, I could understand and relate in some way to all of them, one stood out more then any of the others: 'Lead from the Back' and and let others believe they are in front. 

 

According to Stengel:

Mandela loves to reminisce about his boyhood and his lazy afternoons herding cattle. "You know," Mandela said, "You can only lead them from behind." He would then raise his eyebrows at me to make sure I got the analogy. As a boy Mandela was greatly influenced by Jongintaba, the tribal king who raised him. During meetings of court, men gathered in a circle and only after all had spoken, did the King begin to speak. “His job,” Mandela said, “Was not to tell people what to do but to form a consensus.”

During gatherings between Mandela and his own people, often some of his colleagues would shout at him to move faster or to be more radical, and Mandela would simply listen. When he finally did speak, he slowly and methodically summarized everyone's points of view and then unfolded his own thoughts, subtly steering the decision in the direction he wanted without imposing it. The trick of leadership is allowing yourself to be led too. "It is wise," Mandela said, "To influence people to do things and make them think it was their own idea."

 

Reading this link, lead me to realise how often when we are working with others – especially in a leadership role, how valuable it can be to steer the team from the back. As a leader, most often there is a general sense of the key outcome to achieve or direction to take. And, allowing the generation and cultivation of a teams’ ideas on completing that vision, and contributing to what and how that vision will be achieved allows team members to:

• Up-skill with the necessary dexterity needed in business to be good contributors,
• Learn how to be idea generators,
• Be managers of their own outcomes,
• Build self confidence in making decisions and taking action on those,
• Personally raise their awareness of potholes in the road, to experience the odd scratch here and there, and subsequently work out how to conquer arising problems and experience the triumph of overcoming those hurdles.

 

If a leader is constantly at the front, then they’re generally blocking the view from those who are standing behind, and as a result of having ones back turned for too long, then how can a leader see where the team is at? At the other end of the scale, if they’re at the front facing the troops, then who's watching the direction the team is taking? Leading from the back enables both a leader and the team a wider view, or increased perspectives of what is occurring; and thus increasing opportunity.

Staff will share or act out their beliefs, interpretations and perspectives. Having the wise self control and skills as a leader to intently observe, listen, reflect and focus our attention appropriately and then steer matters in the direction we think is necessary; will support team members to become active, responsible and accountable participants.  

Leading from the back, is not about sacrificing those who are in front, or giving up the perceived privilege to wave the flag – it speaks of what it is to be a true leader and be followed no matter where one stands, or the position one holds. People will more willingly follow those who enable them to be capable and self fulfilling human beings, then those who command, control and limit their abilities and self esteem.

Like Mandela, some of you leaders may go on to make significant notable changes in the world, and others of you (like Mandela also) may go on to touch the minds and hearts of the everyday person through exceptional leadership on a smaller scale that leads to significant changes. But either way, it will always be a privileged and special position to help others see the way more clearly, through leading from the back.

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So how are you as a leader?

Does your team follow you no matter where you stand? Do you talk to your team in such a way that they listen, and do you listen to them in a manner that enables them to speak up? Is your team self managing and motivated? Do they believe they own the team vision with you? And if you stood in their position for a day and looked back at you as a leader; 1) What would you see, 2) What would you hear being said i.e. the words, tone and the manner, and 3) How would what you're doing as a leader be encouraging what's going on?

Programmes we have that can assist skilled capabilities in teams and leaders: 

• The Rainbow Method Team Training
• Transforming Communications for Leaders
• Workplace Coaching for Leaders

 

If you are interested to know more on the lessons of leadership and to hear the short narration on Nelson Mandela, go to this link: http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2008/mandela_90/

 

  

 

 

© Mozaix International Limited. 2010.