The Power of ‘If-‘:  Leadership Is About Choice.

Everywhere we look we see crisis and failure – financial crisis, corporate failures, and political scandals.  Leadership failure is at the heart of all these breakdowns.  We tolerate leadership mediocrity, just as we accept simple answers to complex problems.  We invest tens of millions of dollars every year trying to close our leadership gap, but too often we seek quick fixes and painless solutions, only making the problem worse. 

Leadership is complex, and effective leadership will not come from simple solutions.  Throughout history, great leaders have understood that leadership is a vocation that requires hard work and dedication.  My grandfather also understood this, and he lived by the motto, “anything worth doing is worth doing right.”  When I was young he introduced me to a poem that has helped me see what it means to lead.  I have used the simple words of that poem to begin to understand and describe the complexities and challenges of leadership.  ‘If-,’ written by Rudyard Kipling in 1895, captures the essence of leadership.

So, what leadership advice could you, an aspiring 21st-century leader, possible get (or want) from a 19th-century poem?  The poem provides a concise list of sixteen leadership characteristics, which I call “The ‘If-’ 16”: Composure, Character, Patience, Selflessness, Vision, Self-efficacy, Integrity, Resilience, Boldness, Accountability, Courage, Stamina, Authenticity, Humanity, Enthusiasm, and Ambition.  While the list is daunting, the words and concepts are simple.  The real challenge comes when we decide to put them to use. 

If You Will Lead demonstrates the power of “The ‘If-’ 16” by telling true stories about great leaders who effectively used these attributes to make history.  Personal growth and development requires critical self-examination.  As leaders we must regularly inventory our skills, understand the attributes we possess, determine our aptitude for using them, develop those skills we lack, and then use them appropriately.  Neither this book nor the poem is a checklist guaranteeing success for an aspiring leader.  ‘If-’ describes a path one may choose to follow, and this book serves as a roadmap for those who make this choice.  While a map simplifies a journey by showing the roads we will follow, the real challenge and difficulty is in the steps we take on the journey itself.   This book clarifies our path, but successful leadership requires dedication to the journey.

The poem has maintained its applicability for more than 100 years.  It is a clean, well-written verse; it is easy to read and understand; and most importantly, the messages remain relevant today.  If You Will Lead is about choice.  If an individual chooses to make the investment in himself, and chooses to undertake this long and difficult journey, anyone can become an effective leader.  This book provides the tools for those willing to make this choice. I have used this poem to grow as a leader for more than 25 years, and more importantly, I have used it to help develop scores of other leaders.  My knowledge and love of history and my leadership expertise qualify me to write this book.  What makes me uniquely qualified is my demonstrated ability to see the wisdom that ‘If-’ contains and to make it accessible to aspiring leaders.