A close friend of mine was recently killed in a tragic accident. All of us experience sudden tragedies in our lives and somehow when the shock is added to the grief, it’s even harder to deal with. This article though is not about death or grief. Candidly, those things are not within any sort of expertise I possess. This article is about leadership.
As we were gathered at the funeral home, mourning the loss of my friend Robert, I heard someone who reported to him at work say that it would be difficult to replace him, because he wasn’t just a boss, he was a leader. That thought stuck with me through the several days that followed and it occurred to me that while many people are challenged to describe exactly how they want leaders to behave, and those opinions are often quite different, most people know when they have been in the company of someone who has made a difference for them. They know when their lives are somehow better because of their interaction with that individual. That’s the essence of leadership.
Leaders often stand out because they accomplish tasks, achieve goals, and drive growth. When you hear anyone describe a leader though, they don’t necessarily mention those things. Those things are simply the natural results that follow in the footsteps of real leadership. Leaders drive results because they inspire, motivate, support and help others. Leaders cause people around them to accomplish more. Success is the result but leadership is the focus.
No one described the tasks Robert accomplished when remembering him that day, or even the success he achieved. They talked about how he helped them become better, supported their efforts, created a fun place to work, or even just how he shared part of his own life with them. They talked about what mattered to them not in a monthly or quarterly sense, but it a sustainable, lasting way. Leadership isn’t about monthly or quarterly things. It’s about causing change that lasts, even beyond the leader’s ability to directly influence it. It caused me to think about how those people Robert touched are better today because of him, even though he’s not around to help them any more. Leadership is a pretty impressive thing.
In my job I get to work with leaders every day. I get to see what works and sometimes what doesn’t. I can’t ever recall a leader who drove a change in organizational culture, made a lasting difference, or caused people to step up and achieve more, who didn’t focus on the people they interacted with more than the results they wanted. Don’t misunderstand me, results are important. Results are how we keep score, how we measure growth and how we share what’s possible. But we get them by focusing on the inputs, not the results themselves. The inputs are those things that matter the most to the people who have the capability to directly drive the results.
As you think about becoming the leader who can do all of these things, and achieve incredible results, make sure that you are spending your time focused on the inputs. Think about what you can do to cause others to want to engage more fully, to encourage others to take more accountability, to build an organizational culture where people want to do their best. A focus on those things cannot cause anything but a more impressive set of results. Results are what we look back at, potential is what we look forward to.
Lot’s of us are going to miss Robert. He taught me, and many others, about the value of balancing work with fun. He was one of those people who made a difference for those around him and when people gathered to remember him, they called him a leader. Many of us aspire to that. Even though his time here was shorter than most, Robert got there.
Comments:
Comments (16)
Abbie S. Fink:
Jul 10, 2011 at 09:36 PM
What a nice tribute to your friend. I am sorry for your loss. His family and friends will take comfort in knowing he was so admired.
Susan Avelluto:
Jul 11, 2011 at 01:42 PM
Randy, I think this is a great article and it really resonated with me. I too just lost someone close to me in a tragic accident. I'll add one more piece which is... Age is irrelevant. Leaders can show up in our lives in all shapes, sizes and ages. While leaders at younger ages may not focus on building organizational culture, you can see it in the impact they make on the world. They've made a difference to a group of people and have inspired them or changed their experiences. When you spot it in younger leaders....you can begin to see the impact they have or can have as they mature and gather experience. Its unfortunate that many of us dont appreciate it until its gone, but hopefully it facilitates learning and perspective, which is exactly what the leader would have wanted, had they stayed with us in this world. All my best, Susan
Randy Hall:
Jul 11, 2011 at 02:00 PM
Susan, Thank you so much for stopping by and adding your thoughts. You've made the post better by pointing out the whole concept of age and experience not being necessary. I can't count the times that even my kids have taught me that age is irrelevant. Often they will say or do something that will change the way I think and act and it's obviously not because they have a wealth of experience. They still lead me to better thoughts and actions on an almost daily basis. I've also witnessed what you pointed out about younger leaders entering a group or organization and making an impact. So many times we think of leadership as a result of age and experience when it's often a function of a different perspective or attitude. Thanks again for making this discussion better and it's great to hear from you! Randy
Randy Hall:
Jul 11, 2011 at 02:03 PM
Thanks Abbie. Robert was a great friend to many and hopefully his leaving this world early helps us all think differently about how we spend our time here. I appreciate you stopping by. Randy
JEFF DAVIS:
Jul 19, 2011 at 03:53 PM
Randy, Wow -- that spoke volumes about Robert -- It gave me a sense of how fortunate I was to have known Robert --as a friend and leader -- and how he touched us --and even though a cliche -- we all need to live -laugh and love every day --please keep in touch --jeff
Randy Hall:
Jul 19, 2011 at 07:35 PM
Jeff, Thanks for your comments. I think we were all lucky to know Robert and it's always seems a shame that something like this has to happen for us to realize that. It was great to see you again as we remembered Robert and I hope that all of us can get together once in a while to remember him. I think maybe a memorial fishing tournament would be appropriate. Robert would appreciate that. Thanks for the visit Jeff, Randy
Brent Noell:
Jul 20, 2011 at 06:43 AM
Nice job. Thanks for the very accurate and kind words.
Randy Hall:
Jul 20, 2011 at 08:32 AM
Brent, Thank you. And thanks for stopping by. Randy
Emily Horsley:
Jul 20, 2011 at 03:55 PM
Randy, What a true memorial to a great person. Your blog reminds me of the
Wanda Trower:
Jul 20, 2011 at 07:25 PM
You did such a great job writing this article. It says exactly what we all know and feel about Robert. I think that's why it's so hard to realize and accept that he is gone. It reminded me how very fortunate I was to have a supervisor who was so great at what he did and yet still was a friend to all that he worked with. I think that was very obvious by all the people who took the time to come to his funeral. I just hope he knew how much he was appreciated and how much we thought of him. He definitely was the best district director I have ever worked with. Our local newspapers sure could take some lessons from you. Thanks for taking the time to help us remember what a great leader we had. Also, it was great to see you again. Take care!
Randy Hall:
Jul 20, 2011 at 08:50 PM
Emily, Thank you for your comments and for taking the time to write. I think Robert taught all of us something along the way and he was lucky to have people like you in his circle of friends. All the best, Randy
Randy Hall:
Jul 20, 2011 at 08:54 PM
Wanda, Thank you for the kind words. I too hope that Robert knew how many people appreciated him and how much he created an example for others. It was great to see you as well Wanda and if there's anything good that came out of the tragedy it's that a lot of old friends got together because of Robert. He would have liked that part. Thank you, Randy
Dawn Boyd:
Jul 21, 2011 at 08:11 AM
Randy, this is so well written....I've read it several times in a row right now. I am Keith's wife. He sent this to me, and I just read it. I too loved Robert so much. I met Keith and Robert at the same time about 20 years ago in Fredericksburg and fell in love with them both instantly! Robert was truly something special. I forwarded this fantastic article to my last principal who is my mentor and inspiration. The whole time I read this, I not only was thinking about Robert, but her, because it hit the essence of being a good, true leader right on the head. And that's difficult to verbablize. You did an excellent job of doing just that. Thank you for taking the time to do it. -Dawn Boyd
Randy Hall:
Jul 21, 2011 at 03:54 PM
Dawn, Thank you for reading and thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate you passing the article along to your principal and I hope that she finds value in it. What's amazing about Robert is that he never really set out to become a leader. He just worked to make a difference for others and help them get what they needed to become successful. In doing that he became the best kind of leader. I'm really glad you shared your thoughts here Dawn - and please let Keith know that I appreciate him passing the article along to you as well. Randy
Ricky F. Hudgins:
Jul 30, 2011 at 08:22 AM
Randy, It was good to see you again after all these years. I'm just sorry it was under these circumstances that we were brought together. I remenber the first time I met Robert, he was assigned to my office as a CED Trainee and it was my job to jump start his (ASCS) FSA career. Robert's enthusiasm for the job was apparent from the beginning. He became a good CED and when he got the job as District Director I wondered how he would handle overseeing such a rowdy bunch he was inheriting. He passed with flying colors and it was a pleasure to work with him the rest of my career. He was all about looking out for his people and his leadership style was spot on in dealing with his offices and the farming community. I am proud to have been able to call him "friend". Thank you for writing such a fine tribute to a good friend and "leader". He will be missed in so many ways. Stay in touch.
Randy Hall:
Jul 31, 2011 at 05:52 PM
Ricky, Thanks for taking the time to add your thoughts here. It was great seeing you as well despite the circumstances and I guess if there was anything positive to come out of the situation, a bunch of old friends got to spend a little time together again. Hopefully we won't make it such a long stretch before we do that again. All the best, Randy