Management Information

By Douglas Katz

LEADERSHIP DEFINED

Go to the library or local bookseller and look for books on leadership. You will find volumes and volumes. From business to the military to politics, every author will have his or her own nuanced definition and approach. Which one, however, is right?

I say none of them and all of them. Leadership is, after all, an abstract concept. It permeates society in so many different ways that it cannot be conventionally or neatly defined. Contexts change: every situation presents a different set of needs that alter what embodies the perfect leader for a person or organization. General definitions fail to capture these intricacies, and detailed definitions fail to capture the entire scope of this skill set. What is an aspiring leader to do?

ENTER THE CASABLANCA TEST

In the mid-60s, the Supreme Court struggled over a decision on obscenity. In order to make a ruling, the debate eventually shifted to a need to create a concrete definition for obscenity and, in so doing, provide a means to regulate it. This definition proved to very elusive. To break the impasse, Justice Potter Stewart put forth a novel but effective approach: he abandoned the effort to encompass everyone’s specific and personal definitions into one uber-definition. Instead, he took an approach that provided the necessary flexibility required to address such a nebulous concept.

Justice Stewart drew upon his experience as a Navy Lieutenant in North Africa as his way to identify obscenity. During his tour, he was faced with the difficult duty of deciding what locally produced pornography would be allowed on the ship. Because the content of these items was wide ranging, and ‘acceptability’ is very relative, the only way that he could make such a decision was to inspect it all and form an opinion on a case-by-case basis. As he said many years later in conjunction with the Court’s obscenity debate, “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . but I know it when I see it.

This momentous case brought the concept of the Casablanca Test to the world. It created a framework and philosophy applicable to abstract concepts. A framework that allows us to say, “Show me and let me judge.” It gives us a means to focus on the manifestation of the concept as opposed to the concept itself. What, you may ask, does this have to do with leadership?

THE CASABLANCA TEST OF LEADERSHIP AND HOW TO PASS IT

I am not advocating pornography or saying that leadership is obscene. Like obscenity, however, leadership is complex and extremely difficult to define. To be honest, the people you lead probably will not care about definitions or abstract qualities. They will, however, care about how they are being led. And they will know leadership when they see it. Consciously or not, they will be judging your leadership with their own individual Casablanca Tests.

Understanding this particular test is a crucial step in succeeding in a leadership role. The good news is it is not too tough. By following six simple rules, you can pass the Casablanca Test of Leadership with flying colors.

Rule #1: Be present and involved.

Regardless of the context, leadership is about people. To lead them, you need to interact with them. You can do this only if you are in present and regularly involved. This not only provides you a means of assessing how your team processes information and communicates, but also it affords them a chance to assess your abilities and capabilities. Absentee leaders cannot and do not impact their teams.

Rule #2: Behave as if all of your actions are being watched.

Think of your team as the leadership paparazzi. They are always watching your behavior and actions, documenting them, and sharing their observations with their peers. Like it or not, as a leader you have given up a degree of your privacy. After all, your team looks to you for guidance and direction, which requires them to observe your actions as an example. They may sometimes be looking for you to fail. Regrettably, this observation does not occur when it is convenient for you; it occurs constantly in all situations.

Rule #3: Hold yourself to the team standard.

If you think back over the leaders you have experienced, at least one embodies “Do as I say and not as I do.” This is the boss who tears into you for being late, but is never on time for anything, or who insists on reviewing materials but does not seek informed input before charging ahead. The same rules of perception will apply to you with your team: the moment that you stop leading by example and start measuring yourself with a different standard than your team marks the beginning of the end for you.

Rule #4: Be in charge.

Your team will want to participate in some decision-making, but they want to be led. They desire and need guidance, decisiveness, strength, and optimism; and they will look to you for them. If you do not assert yourself, your team will dismiss you as ineffective and uninvolved. That is not advocate governing with an iron hand. Strike a balance but maintain authority.

Rule #5: Consider the impact of your decisions.

Think of this as the “mirror rule”: look in the mirror, consider your decision, and assess how you would react if you were a team member. Understanding your team’s potential discomfort with a decision does not necessarily mean implementing it will be easy or uncomplicated. On the contrary, as a leader, your job very often is about the harder path. In those cases, it is even more critical that you sense how your team will react, so you can anticipate potential resistance and craft your message accordingly.

Rule #6: Be yourself.

A phony is easy to spot. If you try and cast yourself as a leader by just playing a part or assuming some type of idealized image, you will likely fail. Remember that acting as a leader does not mean that you have to act in a theatrical sense. Treat your people fairly and look out for the best interest of the team and its members, and they will follow you.

It comes down to understanding the difference between what defines you as a leader and the definition of leadership. While understanding the conceptual basis of leadership is important, it is what you do as a leader (and how your team perceives your actions), that are the keys to success. It is only when you recognize this -- and embrace the reality that it is those that you lead who hold the key to your success – that you will ultimately pass the Casablanca Test of Leadership and to unleash your full potential.

D. Katz

Douglas Katz is a Co-Founder and Vice-President of LEADINGSCHOOL LLC (www.leadingschool.com). He is a 1993 graduate of the United States Military Academy and a 2001 graduate of Loyola University Chicago. He has sucessfully served in a wide variety of leadership positions across a diverse range of organizations, industries and environments to include the United States Army, Tellabs, and Citigroup.