Leadership is hard work. It is not easy.
When I was Dean at the Ivey Business School at Western University we conducted many interviews around the world after the financial crisis in 2008. Much of the crisis was being blamed on lack of regulatory oversight, executive compensation, and other factors. We wanted to explore if good leadership made a difference. In fact, we found there was a correlation between leaders with consistent and admirable character traits and companies that did well.
I believe the framework we developed for leadership is transferable between the private sector and the public and not-for-profit sectors. The leadership framework that was developed by Professors Gerard Seijts, Mary Crossan, and Jeffrey Gandz became known as the 3 C’s of leadership: competency, commitment, and character. What does this mean?
First, you must be competent. You have to know what you are doing. You must have the knowledge, skills, understanding and judgment needed to assess a situation, analyze solutions, and collaborate with others to get things done. This is the table stakes of leadership.
Second, commitment. You must roll up your sleeves and do the hard work of leadership. It isn’t just occupying a position. It’s delving into the many issues that face leaders, getting involved and finding solutions. Commitment is aspiring to a vision and being willing to make sacrifices in the pursuit of that vision. Commitment is the constant drive to learn more.
The third, and probably the “c” that surprised us most when doing the research on leadership was “character”. Character is the glue that drives sound decision making. If you are skeptical about the importance of character, try to imagine a leader without courage who will not stand up to poor decisions made by others and lacks the perseverance and tenacity required to work through difficult issues. Or, those who may back down in the face of adversity and choose the easier, short-term solution. In doing so, it only postpones the inevitable or creates a worse crisis down the road. Without humility, leaders are not open-minded, nor will they solicit and consider the views of others. We developed 10 character traits that are essential to good leadership:
Character
Source: J. Gandz, G. Seijts et al, Ivey Business School
In short, when it comes to leadership, competencies determine what a person CAN do. Commitment determines what they WANT to do, and character determines what they WILL do.
Fortunately, leadership can be taught. The business school had some success with training programs for municipal leaders.
I wish municipal leaders great success because your leadership is required more than ever in this complex, ever-changing environment.
The original research was published in 2010 in a report called "Leadership on Trial".
Carol Stephenson, O.C.
Carol Stephenson is a Corporate Director. From 2003 to 2013, she was the Dean of the Ivey Business School at Western University. She was President and Chief Executive Officer of Lucent Technologies Canada from July 1999 to February 2003. Prior to that, she held a number of executive positions with Bell Canada and BCE Media, and from 1995 to 1998, she was CEO of Stentor Resource Centre Inc.
Ms. Stephenson is a Director of General Motors Company, Intact Financial Services Inc., and Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Ms. Stephenson is a graduate of the University of Toronto, has completed the Executive Program at the Graduate School of Business Administration, University of California, and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University. In 2000, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in engineering from Ryerson Polytechnic University and in 2016, an honorary doctorate from Western University. She has also received several industry awards, including induction into Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame and induction into the London and District Business Hall of Fame.
In 2009, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.
