How leadership has evolved in the last 100 years

By Bob Ansett.

Like most things on this planet, leadership has evolved and will continue to evolve indefinitely. Nothing stands still, you are either going forward or backwards, so to remain relevant, evolution is a constant.

On leadership, think back to the days of the Great Depression and consider how leaders demanded things be done without the need for consultation or explanation. Command and obey was the accepted nature of leadership during this period. Now, compare it with how good leaders get results today.

A successful leader carefully communicates a vision to his team, and then outlines a mission which will ultimately lead to the attainment of this vision.

Along the journey, he has to keep the team informed of their progress and have the courage to alter the plan should it not be working as envisioned. Successful leaders are always leading from the front, doing the unpleasant tasks with enthusiasm and never assigning someone a job that he would not be prepared to do himself; motivating the team to go beyond their perceived capabilities and encouraging them to seize unforeseen opportunities as they arise; and constantly acknowledging overall and individual performances and celebrating every small win or success attained along the journey in pursuit of the ultimate objective.

Good leaders all seem to have an enormous amount of energy. Most practise a physical fitness regime designed to keep them fighting fit at all times so they are able and prepared to respond promptly to any crisis.

Over the past century, we have seen the evolvement of leadership styles from authoritarian to participative and, more recently, delegation.

Authoritarian is where leaders tell their ‘followers’ what they want done and how they want it done, often using abusive language and resorting to the fear factor to get results.

Participative is a form of leadership which often includes one or more follower(s) in the decision-making process, determining what needs to be done and how they will do it. It illustrates that leaders do not have to know everything and should not be afraid to draw on the knowledge or experience of followers. This often leads to the formation of a team with better decision-making qualities, although the leader still retains final decision-making authority.

Delegation is an extension of the participative style of leadership and has been around for centuries, as practised in the Westminster form of government. The leader encourages followers to make decisions but retains overall responsibility for those decisions. Some businesses and sporting teams are now applying its principles, but this type of leadership can only work when you have total confidence and trust in the people below you.

So the leadership evolution is alive and well and, as John Quincy Adams (6th President of America) wrote, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, you are a leader”.

Bob Ansett is the founder of Bob Ansett Marketing, a consulting firm in the field of customer service. Bob is also a familiar name in Australian business, synonymous with Budget Rent a Car, which he established in 1965. Bob can be contacted at bob@bobansett.com.au