Effective leadership takes "guts"

I was listening recently to newspaper columnists and former White House press secretaries debate the positions of national leaders on ABC’s pre-eminent public affairs program “This Week” and was reminded once again of a very important quality that makes for effective leadership.

In our politically correct world it is called intestinal fortitude; however, I much prefer the term my father used: plain old “guts.”

Today’s political climate has been accurately described as ugly. All sides on many issues often refuse to consider other points of view or to compromise for the larger good, and too many leaders on all sides of the spectrum seem fearful of making the tough decisions for fear of alienating their base of support.

It’s a shame they don’t see that this smacks right in the face of the wisdom described by management guru Peter Drucker: “Wherever you see a successful business, someone made a courageous decision.” Fortunately, we still find among us living examples of actions taken by true leaders who understand the need for the simple courage to make the tough decisions.

These are the generation’s “Profiles in Courage.” Among them are:

n Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, former President George W. Bush’s appointee whose tenure was wisely extended by President Barack Obama.

Gates made a difficult but correct decision to recommend that Gen. Stanley McChrystal be relieved of his position as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Though he was a highly decorated and distinguished flag officer, McChrystal neglected to follow counsel offered by retired Marine Gen. James Jones, current national security adviser, to give his candid recommendations to the president in private. Senate Armed Services Committee members Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John McCain, R-Ariz., quickly backed Gates’ recommendation and Obama’s decision to relieve McChrystal.

n Columbia University President Lee Bollinger made what he knew was going to be a controversial decision by inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak at Columbia’s New York campus. A First Amendment scholar, Bollinger was severely criticized for the invitation and for his own remarks that day, but we learned much more about the Iranian leader as a result of Bollinger’s courageous decision to invite him to speak.

n Owner Aaron Feuerstein’s decision to continue to pay his employees after his textile factory in Lawrence, Mass., burned to the ground will long stand as one of the most courageous and thoughtful acts ever taken by a business leader. He truly embodies what reporter Rebecca Leung referred to as the “Mensch of Malden Mills.”

n While at GE, Jack Welch was legendary for jettisoning those General Electric businesses that, while highly profitable, were unlikely to ever be the best in their industries. It takes courage to commit to excellence and then ensure that anything less isn’t worth doing. Welch fostered a corporate culture of being fast, agile, lean and thinking like a small company.

n Joe Torre, the former Yankee skipper (now managing the L.A. Dodgers), surprised most everyone in 1996 by brilliantly managing the pinstripers to capture the World Series while courageously keeping the front office at bay. He is revered more in this corner for speaking out about his abusive father and establishing his Safe At Home Foundation for prevention of domestic violence.

There are many leadership qualities worth emulating. In the sports world, the line “no pain, no gain” is heard every day. In the military, those defending our country are taught “no guts, no glory.” Having played varsity sports in high school and college, and also having been a Navy officer, I have found that playing it safe seldom gets the strategic win.

A newspaper editor friend once told me that the hoopla surrounding management books on good judgment is overblown, and “common sense” is what is actually required. I agree, but I would also add “guts” to the equation.

Perhaps Albert Einstein said it best: “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.”

Ventura County Star