Lights, Bridges... Leaders!

“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.”—Colin Powell

What is leadership, and what are its components? We need only to look at great business leaders who have helped shape our world today. These leaders embody myriad qualities, from strategic thinking to outstanding communication; from dreaming to doing. They ensure that their vision is achieved through the people whoare the company or the corporation.

Essentially, great leadership boils down to two fundamental approaches. The best leaders exhibit at least one of these. Many exhibit both. Let’s take a look.

Light Givers

When leaders communicate an inspired vision with style and verve, they are essentially light givers. They are beacons, shining the intense light of their vision. People are drawn toward it, wanting to experience the vision for themselves. The leader articulates the vision. The excitement, motivation, and determination to achieve that vision follow directly from the light. Light givers use their ample charisma to intensify the vision.

Steve Jobs was a prime example of a light giver. His strong vision, and his ability to artfully express it, guided Apple to new heights of profitability. Even after his death, his vision — his light — shines on.

Bridge Builders

Leaders exhibiting this approach provide a safe passage for their people to cross from a comfortable status quo to a scarier, but potentially more profitable future. Unlike light givers, this leader provides a bridge to that future. He or she accomplishes this by leading the way, showing everyone that the bridge is solid and ready to carry them to that new territory on the other side. Bridge builder leadership invites people to follow without fear.

Jeff Bezos is a great example of this style. He consistently leads his people at Amazon (and lately, at The Washington Post) across the bridge. He leads by example. He’s willing to ignore his critics, and encourages his followers to do the same. Years ago when he was packing books himself at his first Amazon warehouse, the naysayers were laughing at Amazon’s year-to-year non-profitability. No one is laughing now. Bezos continues to build profitable bridges to the future, both for his companies and for the rest of us.

Communicate!

At the risk of stating the obvious, all great leaders must be great communicators! Without the ability to masterfully articulate a vision, a leader cannot be a leader. He or she won’t be able to get through to their listeners, the very people that are to be drawn to the light and cross that bridge to the future.

Armed with that powerful ability to communicate, a leader can be both a light giver and a bridge builder. Their passion and purpose create a vision with the power to move people to action. Their willingness to ignore critics and move ahead carry the day. They give their followers encouragement to do the same. They leave the status quo behind as they cross that bridge to a profitable future.

A great example of this is Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group. He creates bright visions that motivate. He articulates them. Then he builds bridges — fledgling companies — to get from here to there. His 400 (and counting) companies prove the worth of his approach.

Whether you’re a light, a bridge, or both, the bottom line is your ability to paint a motivating vision that moves your followers to action, to the results that you want to create.

If you’re a leader, or aspire to leadership, then… Give light. Lead us across the bridge. Communicate!

Ken West is Program Manager at The Fusion Group, Ltd. He is also the author of the goal setting workbook, Get What You Want.