The Power of a Naked Leader

I recently did a Zoom interview with the CEO of a high-tech company who directly or indirectly reminded me several times during our thirty-minute interview that he was the CEO.  It reminded me of a doctor whom you have never met coming into your hospital room sporting a white medical coat, name tag, with a stethoscope around his neck, and introduces himself as "Dr. Smith."  Why the insistence on a title when the role is obvious? 

Then it hit me.  Our interview was held between my home office and his home office.  There was no riding the elevator up to mahogany row on the top floor.  There was no secretary outside his door standing guard or ushering me into the inner sanctum.  There was no giant desk or nameplate or other symbols of power.  He was left with a phone at home.  How much of our role as a leader is decorated in symbols and sounds of "I am in charge?" 

What is a Naked Leader?

I served as an infantry unit commander in Viet Nam in the late 1960s.  I had the good fortune (or misfortune, some might say) of being in a lot of close combat and brought home a couple of Purple Hearts as evidence.  Officers in battle never wore rank nor talked directly on a combat radio. A radiotelephone operator (RTO) carried the 20-pound radio and talked on the field commander's behalf—the reason:  enemy snipers looked for signs to identify the leader as their first target.  Take out the leader and troops will become confused. 

It was partially why command presence was valued and taught.  Officer school candidates are drilled on the proper manner of a leader—focused, attentive, and engaged.  Command presence is not about control; it's about connection; it's not about power; it is about poise.  It is the groundwater of leader confidence and impact.  A great leader knew to only employ as much leadership as was needed to influence the outcome.  Here are three keys to naked leadership.

Treat Associates Like Wealthy Volunteers

Pretend you go on vacation.  While you are gone your employees get together, pool their betting money, and collectively buy lottery tickets.  They agree that if any ticket wins, they will divide the proceeds equally.  They win a huge lottery making them all independently wealthy.  When you return from vacation, you learn they all plan to continue to work as full-time volunteers.  You also learn these will be the only workers you get for a long time.  How would your leadership actions change?"  What does leadership look like when command and control are irrelevant as leader tools for influencing?

Love Employees and Customers More Than the Scoreboard

Southwest Airlines founder and CEO, the late Herb Kelleher, and I worked together in a booth at BookExpo promoting Kevin and Jackie Freiberg's best-selling book, Nuts: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success.  It gave me a chance to casually interview Herb.  "What drives you to do your best every day?" I asked him.  In his unique inimical style, he said, "I love customers and I love our people.  And, I get a real kick out of making them happy and proud to be associates with our company."  I could not help but notice that bottom-line talk was completely absent.  Southwest's success is legendary.

Be Boldly Genuine

She was the COO of a large company; this was their leadership conference. I was their keynote speaker and her "state of the company" came right before my remarks.  She was also going through chemotherapy for breast cancer and was completely bald--she wore no wig or hat.  I was impressed.  I asked the meeting planner to characterize her as a leader!  "Awesome and inspiring," she told me.  "She is so courageous and daringly authentic.  I would follow her to the ends of the earth."  Naked leaders don't wear masks, they speak the unadorned truth, and they fearlessly lead from the heart. 

Naked does not mean without clothes.  It implies removing the extra layers that create distance and dissonance.  It means becoming unadorned with the gear of authority so you can become reliant on the spirit of partnership.