The AMA Handbook of Leadership

CHAPTER 19

A Question of Leadership:

What Does the Organization Need Me to Do?

➤ John Baldoni

One of the questions that all of us engaged in leadership

development have been asked at one time or another is

basic: What does it mean to be a leader? For years my

standard answer has been that being a leader means that

you do what is right for the organization and put people

into positions where they can succeed and benefit them-

selves and the team. This explanation still works, but I

have come up with a much shorter statement—actually it

is a question—that may be more precise and actionable.

As a leader, what does the organization need me to do?

Leadership by nature is straightforward; putting it into

practice is much tougher, especially when you are con-

fronted with two equally attractive propositions, or

“rights.” Harvard professor and business ethicist Joseph

Badaracco has written and taught about this duality for

years.

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His insights are relevant to leaders at every level.

The example that comes to mind is choosing whom to

promote, especially when the field of candidates is well

qualified. The easy answer is to put the best person for the

team in charge—but what if you have two “best” people?

What do you do if one is male and the other female? Or

one is a minority and the other is not? Many organiza-

tions opt for diversity, and an organization that puts its

qualified minority candidates into positions to influence

and lead demonstrates meritocracy. On the other hand, is

that fair or just to those candidates who are not chosen?

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These are tough questions that will require tough answers. The application

of our question (What does the organization need me to do?) may help shape

the ultimate and workable answer. The person who answers the call and

takes action is the person we call a leader.

Our question can be applied to a host of issues. For example, how do you

manage? If you are someone who likes to exert a high degree of control, then

you may be getting things done, but at what price? You may be logging

ungodly hours and wasting energy that you need for new projects, not to men-

tion unexpected crises. Worse, you may be stifling your team members and

preventing them from doing for themselves. By asking “What does the orga-

nization need me to do?” it becomes clear. Ease up and hand over the reins!

By contrast, our same question may prompt a different response in another

situation. Let’s say your company just bought a new manufacturing plant in

another country. If you are the operations guru, you will have to get on a

plane and ensure that the transition is smooth and that the new plant manage-

ment understands from the outset your company’s standards for operations,

quality, and employee behavior. These tasks cannot be delegated; the opera-

tions chief must be present.

The beauty of this question is its simplicity: it assumes ownership of an issue

by a leader and in turn what the leader will do to effect change or maintain

course. It squares the leadership proposition with the action steps and in the

process serves to create alignment around vision, mission, and values.

In determining what the organization needs you to do, it may be useful to

take a step back and ask a few more questions. Answering a question with a

question is something that was bred into me by eight years of Jesuit educa-

tion, a tradition that extends back to the ancient Greeks.

ANCIENT WISDOM, CURRENT TRUTHS

One notable seeker of truth was Socrates; he made liberal use of questions.

By raising questions, Socrates was able to gain information, provide alter-

nate points of view, and even poke fun. Managers can employ questions in

the same way. Asking employees what they are doing and why, and then

engaging them in conversation, demonstrates interest. Like Socrates, make

certain the questions are not used to bludgeon but, rather, to illuminate,

thereby bringing new understanding to the issues at hand.

204 Part Four Facilitating Change

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