Dwight Eisenhower famously described leadership as, “the art of getting to others to want to do what must be done”.
Here are a few thoughts on that definition.
It implies that the leader’s most important job is to define with great accuracy and clarity what actually must be done.
Leadership is an art. Everyone will have a different and unique approach.
Leadership is entirely about understanding people: who they are, what they care about, where their strengths lie, and what persuades and motivates them.
It’s not about getting others to do things; it’s about getting others to want to do things.
“Must be done” implies undeniable truths, not personal opinions. Thus, we must always start by confronting the most brutal facts of our reality.
Effective persuasion begins with what persuades others, not what works best for us.
Motivation is almost entirely driven by understanding others’ personal goals and aligning valued outcomes with those goals.
Motivation is also about giving people the freedom to find their own path to mastery on meaningful work; hence, the “art” part. When we put the right people on the right problems, we don’t need to define “what” and “how”.
The definition says nothing about doing the work ourselves.
“The art of getting others to want to do what must be done.”
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