Why we shouldn’t expect our Political leaders to lead

There is some ancient wisdom that says, in paraphrase, “if someone’s talent is to lead, then they should be the ones that are leading”. 

What happens when you put someone, who is not a leader, in charge of something that requires leadership? The answer is not, generally, that that person suddenly becomes an amazing leader, but rather what you get is a project (or country, or organisation) with no leadership.

I am among those who are lamenting the lack of leadership that I see in the public space right now, in contrast to organisational leaders of the stature of, say Paul Polman (ex Unilever), or Mohammed Yunus (Grameen). These were leaders who led. 

Yet, I think we mistakenly expect our politicians should lead us. Why mistaken? Because the majority of politicians are not leaders. They have not been trained to lead. They have little experience of leading, especially at the level of national influence, or crisis, or challenge that they are needed to lead. Take the COVID-19 pandemic. Who would you want leading the strategic response? Someone who has spent their lives learning how to lead organisations through crisis, challenge and global opportunity, or someone who has studied computer science, philosophy and economics, with spells at the family software business and economic advisor to a bank? 

Leadership is centrally about two things. Firstly, who you are. Your heart and your character. These provide the compass point for all of your decisions. Trust sits at the heart of all leadership influence (How did it ever become ok to elect a proven liar to the position of PM and expect to get a great leader? This could never have happened in the UK thirty years ago) Secondly, how you think. Experienced leaders have laid down, in their brains, proven mindsets and ways of strategic thinking, that they bring to bear on their approach and delivery, to every challenge in front of them. 

We have to stop expecting our politicians to lead us, because they are largely NOT trained or experienced leaders. Just read the CV’s of members of parliament. When did an untrustworthy, jobbing journalist,s ever become the national leader of choice? What you get from political leaders is, at best, well intentioned instinctual, politically driven responses and reactions. 

What is to be done?

As a politician, to acknowledge that you don’t have the experience to lead at such strategic level, appoint someone who has that level of experience to lead in a crisis and give them all the help, access and support you can, to deliver the job. As Truman was reported to have said, "You can achieve almost anything in life, if you don't mind who gets the glory". But that would require the number one quality that Nelson Mandela required of all true leaders…humility. A core dimension of heart and character. The ego drive for power within politics, is often the death knell of a politician developing the level of leadership required for times such as this. 

As that ancient wisdom said, “if someone’s talent is to lead, then they should be the ones that are leading”.