Are We Celebrating the Wrong Leaders? | Martin Gutmann | TED
TED・10 minutes read
It is crucial to rethink leadership standards, focusing on effective but often overlooked qualities rather than dramatic but flawed leadership. The narrative highlights the significance of celebrating successful and meticulous leaders like Amundsen over those with grand stories but failed results like Shackleton.
Insights
- Acknowledge the tendency to celebrate mediocre leaders over more successful ones, highlighting the importance of recognizing and celebrating effective, albeit less flashy, leadership qualities.
- Emphasize the distinction between a captivating narrative and actual effective leadership, showcasing the significance of reimagining leadership to appreciate the subtle, meticulous work behind successful outcomes rather than just dramatic stories.
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Recent questions
What is the importance of celebrating the right leaders?
It is crucial to celebrate the right leaders because there is a bias towards celebrating mediocre leaders, which can lead to confusion between a good story and good leadership. By recognizing and celebrating the leaders who have achieved significant goals and demonstrated effective leadership qualities, we can shift the focus towards reimagining what good leadership truly entails.
Who is Shackleton and what is his leadership style?
Shackleton is known for his dramatic but flawed leadership style. While he was able to capture attention with his bold actions, his leadership ultimately had shortcomings that led to challenges and failures during his Antarctic expeditions.
What is the action fallacy in leadership?
The action fallacy refers to the tendency to confuse a good story with good leadership. This means that just because a leader takes bold and dramatic actions, it does not necessarily mean that they are effective or successful in their leadership. It is important to look beyond the surface level actions and focus on the subtle, behind-the-scenes work that truly defines good leadership.
Who is Amundsen and what is his leadership style?
Amundsen is known for his successful and meticulous leadership style. Unlike Shackleton, he focused on careful planning, attention to detail, and behind-the-scenes work to achieve his goals. His approach highlights the importance of reimagining good leadership beyond just bold actions and dramatic stories.
How can we avoid bias towards mediocre leaders in leadership roles?
To avoid bias towards celebrating mediocre leaders, it is essential to shift the focus towards recognizing and celebrating leaders who have achieved significant goals and demonstrated effective leadership qualities. By reimagining what good leadership truly entails and looking beyond surface-level actions, we can ensure that the right leaders are celebrated and valued for their contributions.
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Summary
00:00
"Choosing Leaders: Success vs. Storytelling"
- Thought experiment: Polar expedition hiring a captain
- Candidate A: Achieved all major polar goals
- Candidate B: Failed Antarctic expeditions
- Bias towards celebrating mediocre leaders
- Importance of celebrating the right leaders
- Action fallacy: Confusing good story with good leadership
- Shackleton's dramatic but flawed leadership
- Amundsen's successful, meticulous leadership
- Importance of reimagining good leadership, focusing on subtle, behind-the-scenes work
