On leadership.

• Author: Johnsen, Jim
• Position: MANAGEMENT - Methods

Leadership is a hot topic these days. People ask: What is it? Is it important? Why don't we see more of it? Is it a gift, is it inherited, or can it be learned? What styles are most effective? Does business leadership translate to political leadership? How can I get better at it? Whatever the question, it's clear that there is a massive interest in leadership.

Leadership books abound. Some are of the "how to" sort, from Machiavelli's "The Prince" to the plethora of guides featuring (pick the number) immutable laws of leadership. Others are biographical, studies of great leaders through the ages from Moses to U.S. Grant to Martin Luther King, Jr. Still others are novels or plays showcasing leaders and their skills and capabilities, their triumphs and downfalls; Shakespeare's Julius Caesar comes to mind. Finally, there are academic studies of leadership, focusing on the most effective types of leadership in certain historical, organizational, and cultural contexts. Plutarch, Max Weber, James MacGregor Burns, Ron Heifitz, and Lee Boleman are among the many great scholars who have focused on leadership.

Likewise, leadership development programs are ubiquitous. Among the most famous and effective are those provided by our military, but such programs also are offered in many of our schools and universities, churches, unions, scouting groups, sports teams, companies, and service clubs. Developed on the (correct, in my view) premise that leadership can be learned, these programs build leadership capabilities among members so they can more effectively carry out the missions of the organizations they lead.

I have had the great fortune to see and experience great leadership for many years. My father was an Army officer in command of combat units and my mother was a professional tennis player and coach. I interned for Leon Panetta in college and studied with renowned scholars in graduate school. I worked for superb leaders at the University of Alaska, Alaska Communications, and Doyon, Limited. And I have had many opportunities to lead, from basketball teams and labor negotiations to administrative organizations, statewide commissions, church councils, and now, the University of Alaska.

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These leadership experiences have taught me a lot. Here are just a few lessons that may be of value to you.

* Listening: As a negotiator, I learned to listen, so that I could understand not only what the other side wanted but more importantly what...