"The seven ages of the leader"

W. Bennis, HBR January 2004, "Inside the mind of the leader" Special Issue.

To understimate the importance of your first moves is to invite disaster.



The paralelism exists with the seven ages of man decribed by Shakespeare in "As you like it", that are infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, general, statesman and sage.



- The infant executive



Recruit a team to back you up; you may feel lonely in your first top job, but you won't be totally unsupported.



- The schoolboy with shining face



The first leadership experience is an agonizing education. You have to learn how to do the job in public. It is almost always best for the novice to make a low-key entry.



- The lover, with a woeful ballad



For the leader who has come up through the ranks, one of the toughest is how to relate to former peers who now report to you; e.g. Henry V, Part II.



- The bearded soldier



Over time, leaders grow comfortable with the role. This comfort brings confidence and conviction, but it also can snap the connection between leader and followers. While the first words and actions of leaders are the most closely attended to, the saruting never really ends. Followers continue to pay close attention to even the most offhand remark, and the more effective the leader is, the more careful he or she must be, because followers may implement an idea that was little more than a passing thought. Followers don't tell leaders everything. A second challenge for leaders in their ascendancy is to nurture those people whose stars may shine as brightly as - or even brighter than - the leader's own.



- The General, full of wise saws



One of the greatest challenges a leader faces at the height of her career is not simply allowing people to speak the truth but actually being able to hear it.



E.g. Julius Caesar.



Leaders ifurther in their careers are frequently brought in with a specific mandate to bring about change, and their actions have a direct and inmediate impact on an organization's long-term fortunes. Hesitation can be disastrous. However you still need to understand the mood and motivations of the people already in the company before taking action.



E.g. Durk Jager, A.G. Lafley (P&G), Carly Fiorina (HP)



- The Statesman, with spectacles on nose



The leader in this stage is often hard at work preparing to pass on his or her wisdom in the interest of the organization.



- The Sage, second childishness



Mentoring is one of the great joys of a mature career, the professional equivalent of having grandchildren.