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Two men considered great leaders happened to have lived and served during the same period of time in Britain: Benjamin Disraeli a conservative politician, writer and two time British Prime Minister, who was credited with the purchase of a controlling interest in the Suez Canal and the conferring of the title of Empress of India upon the Queen of England. The other great leader was William Gladstone, a liberal politician and four time British Prime Minister who was credited with major political reform throughout his over 60 years in government.
These two men had diametrically opposed views and literally hated each other, a trait one does not usually associate with leadership. So then, how could two men, different in so many ways, both be considered great leaders?
I think perhaps the best explanation may come from the observations of a woman who had the honor to dine with the great Gladstone one night and his rival, Disraeli, on another. When asked to compare them she said: “When I left the room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England!” He instilled trust and confidence that he could provide the solutions necessary. He managed to display these key traits for a leader to possess through his dedication and innovative thinking.
When asked about Benjamin Disraeli, she said the following: “After sitting with Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.” He provided a vision that everyone could buy into and made each and every individual feel as if they played an integral part in making it a reality. He made the vision of the future theirs, not his.
These two men, despite their political differences, were both considered great leaders because of the unique abilities they possessed. These differences, these men, illustrate the scope and breadth of leadership, what it entails, and why it is so difficult to define. In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, things are changing more quickly than ever before. This makes it impossible to predict circumstances that will exist at the exact moment action needs to be taken. Consequently, defining leadership and the traits necessary to be a leader is like “herding cats,” where leadership characteristics flow...