Years ago I heard a speaker talk about what he referred to as “Wizard of Oz” leadership (Baum, 1900). I don’t remember who it was or exactly in what context he used it, but the concept has stayed with me for quite some time. “Wizard of Oz” leadership occurs when an individual leads with their brain, heart, and courage, triumphantly arriving at the doors of the Emerald City after overcoming the dangers along the yellow brick road, which include dark forests, poison poppies, the wicked witch, and, of course, flying monkeys. The journey is arduous and fraught with peril, but by banding together with our fellow travelers and calling upon mind, soul, and nerve, we can make it back to the safety and security of home, where we will be surrounded by loving and supportive relationships. It is this type of leadership which I seek and this kind of journey of personal leadership development on which I find myself regularly.
The first step on the yellow brick road to the Emerald City is to engage our brain. The main point here is that the best leaders are thinkers, self aware individuals, and life-long learners. Raelin (2004) states, “Discovering our inner selves means unpeeling the external images we’ve learned to rely on to block our self-discovery.” Without letting go of our ego, we will remain stuck and miss the opportunity to grow and progress. However, once the foundation of ego-free self-discovery is in place, we have the ability to “know and behave as if there is always more to be learned on any subject” (Eikenberry, 2007). This is a liberating experience, because we have now granted ourselves the freedom to learn without bias or the limitations that come from already knowing everything. Learning is hastened and growth nurtured as we dismantle the filters that impede our thought processes. Leaders who use their brains invest the time required to not only develop the technical skills needed for a job, but also the emotional intelligence competencies (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2007) that allow them to connect with the people they lead on multiple levels.
Step two on the road is to lead from our heart, basing our leadership on the core values which define who we really are as a person and that which stirs our passion, commitment, and willingness to sacrifice in the pursuit of our personal and organizational mission and goals. I’ve long had five core values which I believe best describe how I desire to function as a person in all areas of my life. – these being vision, integrity, courage, excellence, and service. Sometimes it can seem that having core values is cliché, however, I find that by having them stated and visible, it helps me to stay on course when I become tired or discouraged and helps me to serve the people entrusted to me better.
For me, the third step on the road to Emerald City is very personal, for it requires that I overcome the same blocker to my leadership potential as the cowardly lion faced when he stated, “If I only had the nerve” (Baum). I must continue to develop courage. As part of my own self discovery, I’ve found that one of the ways that my need for courage manifests itself and becomes a significant blocker and gap in my leadership development is my strong dislike of confrontation. It can almost sabotage my ability to deal with people and issues, and it has hindered my career development. I know that this is a tremendous opportunity for my personal and professional growth. Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee define this as “the ability to handle difficult individuals, groups of people, or tense situations with diplomacy and tact. This involves coming face-to-face with the conflict rather than trying to avoid it” (Goleman & Boyatzis, 2007). I must continue to learn how to confront difficult situations when they arise with the people I serve, peers, and those to whom I am accountable. I believe it is a reasonable assumption that I am not the only one who needs to develop courage when dealing with others, so I encourage you to do this too.
Learning to lead with brain, heart, and courage is an extensive process and will require us to complete the long journey on the yellow brick road. In my next blog post, we’ll discuss how to develop action steps for the journey which will lead us to the Emerald City and ultimately to “no place like home.”
Lead well.