They were a great leader. Maybe they were once a great leader. They talk and walk and act as if they were a great leader. Were they ever really a great leader?
This type of business and this type of organisation builds reputations and just as easily leaves them battered and dented. It’s no wonder that when reviewing the career of a very successful manager there are wildly differing views despite their obvious achievements.
Their contemporaries are in no doubt that they were privilege to witness a great leader at work. Those who came latter are prepared to acknowledge the achievements but place them firmly in the past. Others complain that the willingness to share their wisdom is evidence of trading on past glories and bears little resemblance to more recent modest achievements. Then there are those who comment having observed from a distance both in time and place , who question if the reputation is justified and if past success can be explained simply by being in the right place at the right time.
In my experience all of the above can be true of a successful leader. Working in different organisations when the landscape changes so quickly means what works in a given place at a given time doesn’t necessarily work somewhere else in a different time.
The young dynamic leader enjoyed early success by being brilliantly innovative, excellent at spotting and developing young talent on a small budget. Bigger organisations, bigger budgets and greater expectations followed. The methods having been imitated and adapted by others are no longer innovative. However a whole new generation of managers cite them as their inspiration. Their willingness to give young talent opportunities means their influence spread far beyond their own organisation. Success is more elusive and bookended by failures and falling out with organisations hierarchy.
The period before early retirement and the work done post retirement as a consultant continued the faith in youth, and building on a life times experience they help others adapt to changing and challenging times.
So whether you decided they were a great leader may depend on which stage of their career you encountered them, whether you were influenced by their leadership style and whether as a young talented individual you benefited from the opportunities they created.
Blair Mcpherson former Director author and blogger www.blairmcphetson.co.uk
