First I want to look at a couple of quotes from our text, Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice by Nitin Nohria and Rakesh Khurana, and analyze these in the context of these points.

 “One who serves in public leadership really has little choice as to telling his or her story of self.  If we don’t author our story, others will – and may tell our story in ways that we may not like.  Not because they are malevolent, but because others try to make sense of who we are by drawing on their experience of people whom they consider to be like us.” (p. 542)

 “Hope is not to be found in lying about the facts, but in the meaning of the facts.  In Shakespeare’s version of his speech on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, King Henry V stirs hope in his men’s hearts by offering them a different view of themselves.  No longer are they a few bedraggled soldiers led by a young and inexperienced king in an obscure corner of France who are about to be wiped out by an overwhelming force.  Now they are a “happy few,” united with their king in solidarity, holding an opportunity to grasp immortality in their hands, to become legends in their own time, a legacy for their children and grandchildren.  This is their time!  (p. 545)

For this writing I propose that “story” in these two quotes may also be termed “vision” when used in reference to an organization.  Also, the metaphor of “ship” refers to any type of organization including a business, church, university, etc. 

1. Assembled vs. Aligned: 

Leadership includes not only assembling of people but aligning them with vision.  Just because there is an assembly of people does not mean that the people are aligned.  King Henry V gave hope to his men by aligning their vision of themselves with his vision of them.  They became “legends in their own minds.”  The facts were not lies; the facts gained meaning and became reality.  The men were assembled and then aligned by the leader.

Just because a ship is assembled does not mean it is aligned.  Ships have a center of gravity and a center of buoyancy.  The center of buoyancy must be above the center of gravity for the ship to remain upright and the further these are apart the more stable the vessel is.  If a ship is not “aligned” properly and the weight evenly distributed it will lean to one side or another and cause difficulty in steering.  When the storms come it is vulnerable to capsizing or even sinking. 

2. Diversity does not have to mean Divided:

Within leadership diversity of people does not mean that there is division.  If everyone on a ship has the same skill the ship will not be as successful as it could be with a diversity of skilled individuals.  Someone needs to be skilled in engineering, maintenance, radio operation, security, etc.  The captain cannot run the ship by him/herself; and the crew needs the captain.  Someone needs to steer, check the gages, clean the deck, organize and secure the rigging, etc.  Diversity is necessary; and with an aligned ship and vision the purpose can be accomplished.

3.  Agreement vs. Intention:

If the leader sets the vision, the crew is in alignment, then intentions can unify.  If everyone on the ship has the same intentions there does not necessarily have to be agreement.  In fact, disagreement is necessary in order to come to the best decision.  The Titanic sunk not because it could not float, but because no one saw the danger of the iceberg in time.  It is important for a leader to be confident enough to surround him/herself with people who will voice their opinions and ideas even though ulltimately the leader will determine the course.

4. Culture develops by design or by default: 

A leader has a ship.  The leader develops the culture of that ship by determining or designing the purpose of that ship, the destination of that ship, the course that ship will take, and the jobs of the shipmates.  The leader is the visionary and the strategist.  He/she is not a leader if there is no one following.  If the leader does not tell the story (vision) and set the course (strategy) there will be mutiny on the bounty; not always out of rebellion but out of necessity.  A ship without direction and leadership is more vulnerable to being lost at sea. 

I agree with the authors’ statement that,“The story of now is that moment in which story (why) and strategy (how) overlap and in which, as poet Seamus Heaney writes, “Justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme.” (p. 545)

Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice by Nitin Nohria and Rakesh Khurana

Special thanks to http://kevingerald.tv/ who inspired this writing.

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