August 3, 2004 Willing or Wanting

In our years of study and work in the field of leadership development, we have come across a variety of definitions of leadership. As you might imagine, there are hundreds-and they can be simple, profound, poignant, humorous, or even a bit flippant. Some focus on influencing or persuading, while others focus on inspiring. And many relate to the taking of some kind of action. In fact, there are many such themes that are evident as you examine the various descriptions.

One of those themes is the concept of "to want." We have come across it on several occasions, including some of the following examples:

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.   Dwight Eisenhower

 

Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want to do the things you are convinced should be done. Vance Packard, The Pyramid Climbers

 

Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations. Kouzes and Posner, The Leadership Challenge

We have even added to the fray by combining some of these into "Leadership is the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for and achieve the things you are convinced should be done." From our experience the want factor is a cornerstone of effective leadership.

When it comes to leading, how important do you think it is to get others to want to do something? Perhaps you can recall a situation when you were doing something that had been commanded or forced upon you. Think about how you felt and how committed you were to the outcome. Now compare that to another situation when you were doing something that you really wanted to do. Was there any difference in your approach, tenacity, or level of commitment? Most people with whom we have spoken confirm that the "want to" factor does make a substantial and positive difference. (And it applies at home as well. We have met a lot of parents who told us how much better life would be if they could somehow figure out a way to get their kids to want to keep their rooms clean, or to want to come home on time!)

Recently, I got into a conversation about leadership, and the issue on the table was this: Do you have to get others to want to do something, or is it enough if you can get them to be willing to ?

What do you think about this question?

Personally, I believe that commitment, energy level, and positive attitude are stronger when people want to than when they are simply willing to. However, the recent anniversary of a very remarkable accomplishment caused me to do some deeper thinking about this.

Sixty years ago on the morning of June 6th, do you believe that all of those gallant heroes truly wanted to storm the beaches of Northern France because Eisenhower wanted them to? Or were they, more accurately, willing to do it, because it had to be done? It does make one think. It is hard to imagine that very many people would look forward with great excitement to a situation like this, where one could literally be killed or maimed in a mere instant. Fortunately, they were willing, whether they really wanted to or not.

Now, you could make the case that these soldiers did want to stop the oppressive Nazi German advance, or they did want to protect America 's future, and that is why they were willing to put themselves in such peril. Perhaps similar reasons can be cited for the military and civilian people who find themselves in harm's way today in areas like Afghanistan and Iraq .

And maybe that is the lesson here. Realistically, you will have people who are willing to do the things you are convinced should be done, even though they may not want to. However, you must understand that somewhere, they must have a compelling "want" of some kind, in order for them to be willing to step up to especially uncomfortable, difficult work. Whether it is the want of a steady income or a vow to not let you or other team members down, it is your job as a leader to help your people find that want and be able to connect it to the work you need them to do. That is no small task.

Everyone has read about the incredible accomplishments that were associated with landing a man on the moon during the 1960's. Because of the nature of the endeavor, it seemed like everyone really wanted it to be a success. They were not just willing to work hard, or to make mistakes so they could learn quickly-they wanted to. They deeply wanted to be part of one of the greatest accomplishments of mankind.

My guess is that most of your people today do not feel like they are part of a something as enormously exceptional as the moon mission. They probably feel more like they are just being asked to do more of the same, with a great emphasis on more. Make more sales, cut more costs, capture more market share, generate more shareowner wealth, and so forth. And your job as a leader is to get them to want to do that, since hearts and souls are needed along with brains and hands to reach today's expectations. Many tell us they would be happy if they could get their associates just to be more willing to do the work, let alone to want to. Sound familiar?

Our belief is that people achieve great things because they want to, not because they have to. And if they want something deeply enough, they will be willing to do a lot of things to achieve it. Without a driving want, many will still comply and be willing to do much of what is asked of them. But will they put forth the little bit extra that is required to stretch and grow, and produce what they are truly capable of? Or will they, instead, be satisfied with something less? And will you be able to meet the ever-present leadership challenge of achieving bigger results, year after year, if your people are content to settle for something less than their very best?

Reflection Questions:

What are you passionate about at work? Is it your want?

About what are your people passionate? What inspires them to want to struggle?