I've been reading some more of Warren Bennis' writings on leadership and I've noticed that he likes to list things. He has four things every follower needs from a leader, ten things every leader must do to succeed, and other such lists. I find his insights very informative, but thus far I have noticed one attribute missing from his various lists of things leaders ought to have or do, and that missing thing is "courage."
If Jesus is the ultimate example of leadership (and I believe He is), then we would be remiss if we did not include the fact that any leader who will ever accomplish anything of significance must be courageous. It takes courage to share a vision that no one else can see yet. It takes courage to go against the grain of social and cultural convention and chart a new course. It takes courage to stand up for what is right when everyone else is willing to go along, to get along.
Bennis is fond of saying that managers do things right, but leaders do the right things. The difference, he says, is that a manager can be doing the wrong thing right, but a leader is willing to face the prospect of failure in the pursuit of doing the right things. This takes courage. Without courage, there will be no real commitment to the cause. Without courage, the would be leader will not confront those who do wrong. Without courage, the leader will never dare to dream the impossible, or to attempt the improbable, and in the end though he or she may have held the title of leader, they will have been little more than good managers--safe, dependable, status quo, managers.
