I realize British humor can be an acquired taste, but I love this clip. It says a lot about leadership to me. It only takes about three minutes, so go ahead and watch it and come back to read. If it doesn’t play after you click on the triangle, try here.
Ok, so what did you think? I giggle every time when the peasant says, “You could call me Dennis” and when the “woman” says “I thought we were an autonomous collective.” And the part where the peasant says, “Look, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is not basis for a system of government… You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some [inaudible] tart threw a sword at you.” Like I said, it’s an acquired taste.
Seriously though, I do think it says something about leadership. Have you ever had a leader who was only interested in his/her mission and not really interested in his/her followers and their mission — a leader who held positional power, but lacked personal and expert power? How did you respond? Did you carry on as though the leader’s mission wasn’t relevant to your day-to-day work? Did the leader ever get frustrated because he didn’t feel like he was being taken seriously? What happens when the leader isn’t viewed as a leader at all?
Before you ask if I have anyone specific in mind while I write this, let me be clear that no one I currently work with fits this description in any way, shape or form. And while I have worked with someone who did, I also have to be honest and say there have been times when I’ve been closer to that leader than not. Leaders need to understand the culture of their organization, including all the various constituencies. They need to understand who they’re leading and the purpose for their leadership. They need to develop relationships with those constituencies built on mutual trust and a common vision and to value what followers bring to the table. Only when they understand the organization, its mission, and its people, can leaders expect to use their power. When they do, it should be exercised under people not over them. To lift them up, not keep them down.
Otherwise, they’ll simply end up telling their followers to “Shut up!” and their followers will feel “oppressed.” And it won’t be as funny as this.