11 Apr The challenge of becoming an ‘inadequate’ leader

“Leaders are generally inadequate” – Sir Bob Geldof.

Those powerful words came from an address Geldof gave earlier this year at an awards dinner hosted by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. Sir Bob went further, stating that the very idea of leadership is overblown and he’s sick of hearing about it.

It was perfect timing for me as I sat down to write my own article because it raises a pretty clear challenge for this piece – not to mention raising some thorny questions for those of us who are thinking about the state of business leaders.

So is inadequacy a leadership trait? I certainly think it is, although it will take a change of perspective to become a truly inadequate leader.

Why leaders need to show weakness

It’s not uncommon to hear that leaders shouldn’t show weakness – that their job is to be a source of strength for those around them. This simply isn’t true.

In fact, great inadequate leaders, who are open about their weaknesses, are actually more effective. They can inspire the loyalty of their team members and build a culture where each person’s skills are valued in their own right.

So how do you become an inadequate leader?

When Sir Bob described the best leaders as inadequate, he was reflecting on his life experiences, both as a rock-and-roll legend and his own experiences as a cross-cultural leader. What he never really considered in the speech was how you become an inadequate leader.

For me, the first step in becoming an inadequate leader is self-awareness. Leaders need to be critical of themselves and they need to know their limitations. In short, they have to know exactly what it is that makes them inadequate.

“A leader who is self-aware enough to know that he or she is not adept at everything is one who has taken the first step toward being a great leader” – Marshall Goldsmith.

It isn’t enough to just know their weaknesses though, truly inadequate leaders are those who are open about them, they tell people about their weaknesses. An inadequate leader also knows they can’t do it all – their awareness of their own shortcomings means they are always looking for others who have the skills they lack.

Live Aid was a great example of this. No one man has the abilities to micromanage two concerts on different sides of the Atlantic. Instead, Sir Bob was able to gather around him those who had the skill sets he needed: Musicians who were willing to perform, as well as the support team needed to get the concerts off the ground.

Lastly, inadequate leaders have to be part of inadequate teams, everyone on the team has to be open to criticism, aware of their limitations and working towards common goals. Members of an inadequate team are able to challenge each other critically, while still sharing a common purpose and direction.

Learning to fail and fail well

For many people, inadequacy is synonymous with failure and that’s certainly part of it. Inadequate leaders will embrace failure, they recognise that success isn’t a straight road but will have plenty of points where they stumble or make mistakes. By being open about their failures, they are much better prepared to succeed in the future.

Live Aid was as much a success of project management as it was about a music milestone, and I can promise you it will have suffered plenty of setbacks and required a career of hard knocks in the music business.

For leaders who want to become inadequate, failure isn’t a setback, it’s just another chance to learn their own limitations and then approach the next project with a renewed sense of purpose.

So, if you ever met Sir Bob Geldof, would he come away thinking that you are inadequate? If not, it might be time to rethink your leadership style.

As a mentor at The Executive Connection (TEC) I assemble and facilitate private group meetings for CEOs, senior executives and business owners. Members participate in monthly, Chair-led private group meetings. Our global network has more than 20,000 members in 16 countries that also have access to one-to-one executive mentoring, expert speakers, and a global network of business leaders. Click here to find out more about executive leadership development and mentoring opportunities.