The Truth about Leadership: The No-fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know

What is a leadership truth?

Shortly before we began writing this book, we had the chance to share the platform at an association meeting with renowned author and leadership educator Ken Blanchard. In responding to an audience question, one of us was saying, “I don’t know what you call something that’s been the same for twenty-five years, but...,” and Ken interrupted with, “I’d call it the truth!” It was a moment of clarity. It reinforced our sense that some things about leadership just don’t change that much over time, if at all, and that those things need to be understood for what they are—the truth. We wanted to record those enduring leadership truths that we learned over the years. We also wanted to make certain that the lessons we included in The Truth About Leadership withstood not only the test of time but also the scrutiny of statistics. So we sifted through the reams of data that had piled up over three decades and isolated those nuggets that were soundly supported by the numbers. This is a collection of the real thing—no fads, no myths, no trendy responses—just truths that endure.

What one piece of advice would you give a new leader, or a young person entering the workforce?

Dream. Imagine. Think big. We need your creativity, enthusiasm, and idealism. The truth is that focusing on the future sets leaders apart. The capacity to imagine and articulate exciting future possibilities is the defining competence of leaders. It’s not something people expect from colleagues, but they definitely expect it from their leaders. You have to take a long-term perspective if you’re going to guide people to places they have never been before. And, as important as it is, inspiring a shared vision is the most difficult of all the leadership practices to master. You need to start now in developing the capacity to envision an ennobling and uplifting future.

We’d also tell them that you have to say yes to begin things. You have to say yes to your beliefs, you have to say yes to big dreams, you have to say yes to difficult challenges, you have to say yes to collaboration, you have to say yes to trust, you have to say yes to learning, you have to say yes to setting the example, and you have to say yes to your heart. So, here’s the big question: Are you ready to say yes to leadership?

What would you say to a more seasoned leader?

Two things. First, the truth is that the best leaders are the best learners. Leaders are constant improvement fanatics, and learning is the master skill of leadership. We found in our research that those leaders who engaged more in learning, regardless of their style of learning, were more effective at leading regardless of their years of experience. Seasoned leaders have learned a lot, and they need to keep on learning and practicing every day of their lives. They also need to share their learning with all of the emerging leaders in their organizations.

Second, we’d remind them that the truth is you either lead by example or you don’t lead at all. Credibility is the foundation of leadership, and credibility is earned minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day when you do what you say you will do. We’ve seen far too many examples lately of seasoned leaders who seem to forget this very basic lesson. Keep in mind that your example is the most powerful teaching tool you have. To your direct reports, you are the most important and influential leader in your organization. Make sure you set the best possible example you can for those who’re looking to you for guidance. The legacy you leave is the life you lead.

Of the truths featured in this book, which resonates the most for you?

You can’t do it alone. No leader ever got anything extraordinary done without the talent and support of others. You need others and they need you. You’re all in this together. You have to be sensitive to the needs of others, listen, ask questions, develop others, provide support, and ask for help. We are reminded of this every day as we work on our books. We’re reminded of it not only by the leaders who share their stories with us, but also by the fact that we’ve been working collaboratively for nearly thirty years with each other and with our publishers. We could never have done what we’ve done without the caring support and involvement of so many other people. We are so grateful to be part of an extraordinary community.

What can fans of The Leadership Challenge expect from The Truth About Leadership?

For those who have read our prior works, some of what we say may sound familiar, as we are building on the major lessons we’ve learned from over thirty years of research. But three things make this book different from our previous ones. First, this is a bolder book. We’re taking a stand that our research supports each and every claim. Second, it’s based on far more data than any of our other books were. Over the past few years we’ve been able to accumulate a lot more quantitative information and a lot more cases than for our other books. Third, it’s a more global and a more cross-generational book. The stories and examples we share come from around the world and encompass three generations of leaders. We know that you’ll be the judge, but if you’ve read our other works we still think you’ll find many new and useful insights among these enduring truths.