This book and the
workbook, which I previously completed for a teacher in-service a few years
back, was very enlightening as it helped me realize that leadership is not
about personality. Leadership is about behavior; an observable set of skills
and abilities. As a very reflective people watcher, I first set out to discover
what great leaders actually can do through their actions.
In this paper, I am going to examine the
Mayor of Smyrna, Georgia in order to observe a leader of a community in the
midst of change. By examining his actions as a local leader through
interviewing him, I will compare his leadership to the five core practices
common to all: they Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the
Process, Enable Others to Act, and last but certainly not least, they Encourage
the Heart. As I start his research I looked at what the expectations of a
mayor are and the guidelines that might be available to those looking to take a
leadership role such as this one. Transformational leaders, as described by
Deluga and College, (2000) seek to empower others and to share in the decision
making process. During and after Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Ray Nagin attempted
to work with the New Orleans Police Department and the Fire Department to
develop plans for such important activities as evacuating the city, to create
shelters that would provide for the safety and security of residents who are
unable to evacuate, and to provide for ongoing police and fire services in the
event of major power losses (Ripley, 2005).
Additionally,
Nagin also contacted Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, President George W.
Bush and a host of elected officials serving in the state capital in Baton
Rouge and those serving in Washington, D.C. to ask for assistance and to
coordinate efforts. He interacted regularly with neighboring local officials
and service agencies. As Gordon Russell (2005) notes, Nagin felt that he had a
plan and that the city was ready and able to respond in the event that
Hurricane Katrina would make a direct hit on the region. One might anticipate
that a transformational. The city of Smyrna has not gone through the emotional,
physical, and economic hardship that New Orleans has but it will be interesting
to draw some parallels in the ways in which these two mayors mobilize
others. Such leaders create
relationships with their subordinates that are mutually stimulating and
characterized by four factors: 1) charisma; 2) inspiration; 3) individual
consideration; and 4) intellectual stimulation (Deluga & College, 2000). My primary leadership goal is
to become a transformational leader working in an organization in which the
central work unit consists of work teams that encourage participatory and
empowered work relationships. According to Pierce and Newstrom (2000),
transformational leaders are those who perceive their role as moving and
changing organizations not by offering tokens of inducement, but rather through
the inspiration of others. A transformational leader is an individual who
understands the intrinsic value of inspiring and motivating others and a leader
who has an advanced understanding of the relationship of leadership style to
employee-influencing behavior (Deluga & College, 2000).
Unlike a typical transactional leader, a
transformational leader incorporates and amplifies an employee's higher level
needs that surpass immediate self-interests. By appealing to these elevated
needs, a transformational leader motivates employees to perform beyond initial
performance goals and objectives (Deluga & College, 2000).
It is my goal is to become a transformational
leader; I believe that I would be most effective in an organization that bases
its structure on the team concept. Leadership in a team setting is leadership
that recognizes the importance of individual contributions to work outcomes. It
is leadership in which the leader seeks to empower and enhance the performance
of subordinates and others within the community. Interestingly enough, being
new to the Smyrna, Georgia area I was unaware of its long negatively documented
history and media attention. To introduce Mayor Bacon: he was born October 10,
1948 at Marietta Hospital (now Promina Kennestone) in Marietta, Georgia to
Arthur T. Bacon and Dorothy Moseley Bacon. He attended Smyrna Elementary School
and graduated from Campbell High School in 1966. He attended DekalbZ College
and Chattahoochee Technical College and served in the Georgia Air National Guard
from 1966 to 1970. He has two children Ashley, and Ty and three grandchildren
Abby, Harrison and Trip. Bacon has two sisters, Linda Kenney of Smyrna, Jenny
Ruth Williams of Knoxville, TN and one brother, David Bacon of Kennesaw. Mayor
Bacon is a life-long resident of Smyrna and has been a “good old boy” of Smyrna
his whole life.
“When
you die and go to heaven, you’re liable to end up back in Smyrna.” To be sure,
Max Bacon calls ’em like he sees ’em. A walking, talking marketing sound byte
for the city he has presided over as mayor for the past 26 years, you wouldn’t
expect anything less than the bare-bones truth, as he calls it, about the city
he was born and raised in, and governed for nearly half of his life. The
interview started with some questions about an article from July of 1988, National
Geographic published a story about Atlanta and referred to Smyrna as the
redneck town on the outskirts. This prompted a grand scheme of eminent
domain takeovers and arsons of private property, which were then turned over to
corporate developers in order to develop Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon's grand vision
of abject corruption and graft. Starting with the National Geographic redneck
story, and ending with the most pretentious display of abject corruption, Smyrna
and its fat crook of a mayor have plumbed the depths of dysfunctional government.
A wholly undesirable, mismanaged city of 50,000 people saddled with the costs
of a grandiose government complex that dwarfs those of cities having 20 times
the population - including that of the county it resides in.
After devoting six
years to Smyrna’s City Council, Arthur Max Bacon, 62, succeeded his father as
mayor when Arthur T. Bacon died in 1985. His father had three months left in
his last term when he died, then his son stepped in and never looked back. Some
say he is the FDR of Smyrna and he could have as many terms in office as he
wants. When he talked with me about his city population 50,000-plus and
growing, his face beamed and there was a gleam in his eyes. He brags about the
city’s resiliency amid a sluggish economy and growth of city business. He also
boasts about its vibrant and electric downtown district, low taxes, superior
infrastructure, etc.
Since
development seemed to be his main focus, I researched his vision. Kouzes & Posner would say, “Inspire a Shared Vision” as leaders
passionately believe that they can make a difference. They envision the future,
creating an ideal and unique image of what the organization can become. Through
their magnetism and quiet persuasion, leaders enlist others in their dreams.
They breathe life into their visions and get people to see exciting
possibilities for the future by: 1. Clarify
values by finding your voice and affirming shared ideals. 2. Set the example by
aligning actions with shared values. Inspire a Shared Vision 3. Envision the
future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities. 4. Enlist others in a
common vision by appealing to shared aspirations. I asked him how he has
inspired others through his expectations for Smyrna? “I have been mayor
of this great city of Smyrna for more than 26 years. I have always tried
my hardest to make the city on the forefront of growth and new development
while keeping taxes at a minimum for our citizens. While transforming
Smyrna, I have worked for “smart growth.” I have not allowed
overdevelopment. I have put Smyrna on the map as a great place to live.”
I assumed after reading about him he
would point to his redevelopment plan, which has been going strong for many
years. The first phase of the redevelopment of Smyrna’s downtown district was
completed in August 1991. The Municipal Services building was completed and
occupied in September 1996; the Public Safety/Jail facility was completed and
occupied in September 1997. Also completed is the new Fire Station headquarters
on Atlanta Road, a replica of the old Smyrna train depot, which is the new home
of the Smyrna Museum, and the restored Aunt Fanny’s Cabin, which serves as the
City’s welcome center. The new Market Village, the final phase of the 15-year
master plan, opened with great success in October of 2002. Plans are currently
in various stages of proposal or approval and/or design for the intersection of
Atlanta Road and Spring/Concord for the shopping center known as Jonquil Plaza
and a proposed public/private partnership project at Belmont Hills shopping
center at the intersection of Atlanta Road and Windy Hill Road is currently in
concept phase. As of 2006, after a two-year process, approximately 70% of
apartments properties identified as suitable for redevelopment in Smyrna are
have/and will be complete.
Continuing our discussion about the
growth of Smyrna I had to redirect him and asked again how he gained
collaboration by others? “As a long time member of the City Council I have a
lot of coffee talk and together have focused on Smyrna being pro-business and
service oriented - committed to business as well as the business of community
and its residents. Smyrna has long been an integral part of the growth and
development of Cobb County and is recognized as one of the most desirable
places to live in the entire Metropolitan Atlanta area, the place to be…the
place to call home. This was my desire from the beginning and continues to
be my dream that is being realized every day. I promised, as mayor, to continue
this dream and maintain the smart management of Smyrna. This is all in
effort to continue to have Smyrna be the best place to call home in the
metro-Atlanta area.’’ I could definitely feel the positive energy he was emanating
as he discussed the continued growth of Smyrna.
Again I wondered how I might ask in what ways
does Mayor Bacon model the way in which he wants to see others in the city act.
Mayor Bacon is involved in a number of civic organizations,
including the Cobb Chamber of Commerce Smyrna Division where he served as
President from 1993-94, Chairman of the Downtown Smyrna Development Authority,
the Smyrna Business Association, Cobb County Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors, past member of the Atlanta Regional Commission, Cobb-Marietta
Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority, Cobb Water Authority, member of Smyrna
American Legion Post 160, Campbell High School Advisory Council and former
member of Argyle Elementary School Advisory Council. He is also a member of the
Georgia Municipal Association, is a past president of the Cobb Municipal
Association and was the recipient of the 1993 Georgia Municipal Association
Community Leadership Award. The Marietta Daily Journal selected him as the Cobb
County 1997 Citizen of the Year in January 1998. Through his leadership, the
Urban Land Institute has recognized Smyrna nationally for its downtown
revitalization and in 1997 received the National Award for Excellence of a
Public Project. Mayor Bacon received the 1999 Martin Luther King, Jr. award by
Campbell High School. He also received the 2001 Citizen of the year award from
the Smyrna Area Council of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. In 2004, Mayor
Bacon received the Liberty Bell award from the Cobb County Bar Association for
community service that has strengthened freedom. The Smyrna Rotary Club awarded
Mayor Bacon with the title of Smyrna's Outstanding Citizen in December 2006.
After researching his involvement it was more important to me to understand how
he modeled what his expectation for others within his “organization” or inner
circle. I got the impression that he uses the associations and memberships as a
sounding board for the growth he is looking to move forward.
From Kouzes & Posner
the “Challenge the Process” element seems to be absent from Mayor Bacon he has
lived here his own life and has been in the mayor’s office for half his life. He
recently retired after 40 years of service with the U.S. Postal Service,
serving as Postmaster of the Smyrna Post Office at the time of retirement. My
impression is that people that are in disapproval of the mayor’s actions want a
mayor that is more transparent and able to use voting from the community
members to gain a better perspective of the popular opinion of the people of
Smyrna. The idea by Kouzes & Posner was to search
for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for
innovative ways to improve. When I pointed out to Mayor Bacon that in his
recent campaign he continues to forge the vision of growth in the slow economic
times and asked him how hard it must have been he laughed. Then said he
was had developed a new, 96,000-square-foot Kroger on South Cobb Drive would
spark new life in that area. He said an announcement of a development proposal
for Jonquil Village was expected this next summer. In addition, residential
development is starting to pick up, he said.
The mayor also said he is
proud that the city has not laid off or furloughed any employees; raised taxes
lost its AA+ bond rating since last year. Mayor Bacon said he wants to move the
city forward with steady growth in the face of uncertain economic times. “I
think we will continue to grow at a slower pace,” he said. “I don’t think we
will never see the market be where it was at one time. It just kept going up
and up and up. I think we need to have controlled growth, and it needs to be
planned like we have had in the past. I think you’ve got to have a good,
positive attitude and not be so negative and angry like both of my opponents
appear to be at that time.”
He felt that their negative
campaigns and scare tactics didn’t work, people want to be in a place of
growth. Again I had to follow up with the question does he as a leader feel it
is important to experiment
and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from experience?
He was adamant about this point being made because the question was direct and
he commented that experimenting with a cities growth is something Smyrna cannot
afford.
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It
was interesting that during the campaign this last summer the person running
again the mayor pointed out that many projects that were done within Smyrna with
no public knowledge. “With Smyrna Commons, we didn’t know about it at all for
five months after they did it,” he said. When you’re dealing with millions of
dollars, taxpayers have to know what they’re doing. That brings us back to
town-hall meetings. An important part of the elected officials’ jobs is to
communicate with citizens, and that has blatantly not happened. Importantly
Mayor Bacon seems to place himself into a role as a director of the growth
instead of a support and manager.
To follow up with whom Mayor Bacon was how he inspires
a Shared Vision? Mayor Bacon jokes: “If Smyrna had a beach and a set
of mountains it just might be heaven.” Under Bacon’s leadership, city
officials set forth to position Smyrna as a progressive and desirable place
to live. It started with the redevelopment of the city’s downtown district in
the mid ’80s. The plan, he says, had one driving objective. “We wanted to be
sure there was something for everybody, from small children, to seniors. We
said it would take 30 years and it took 14. So we did something right. I’d
put our community up against any in the country.”
Of the approximately 2,200
businesses that call Smyrna home, the majority are small businesses, many of
which are located along the city’s well-traveled commercial corridors or its
downtown district. Its eclectic mix of industries includes bioresearch,
medical, electronics, civil engineering and government contractors. If you
travel down Highlands Parkway and Oakdale Road, you’ll find companies that
manufacture items such as home goods, paper goods, firearms, radiation
detectors, distribution and logistics, and telecommunications. Mayor Bacon
said he is not a leader that projects a vision and I asked him why he thinks
that? He stated, “Well, when I am
faced with choices and options, I find that I operate in the gap between new
and old, the safe and the unpredictable and feel that my talent if that is
what it is would be being the bridge of bring things together”.
“You seem to be skilled as a
go-between for those who like change and those who don’t would you agree?”
After discussing this question with him and researching his record as the
mayor for so many years. I found he has the ability to quickly assess what’s
happening around him in terms of what it means for his ideals. He can be
equally at home in the camps of those who like change or those who don’t,
depending on how their plans and activities stack up against his views of the
ideal world.
Lydia Jones, district
director of the University of Georgia Small Business District Center, can’t
say enough positive things about Smyrna or Mayor Bacon. The key, she says, is
its people, which have an average median age of 33.7. “Business owners tell
us about the friendly nature and community spirit in Smyrna. It’s refreshing
to see businesses in all sectors come together in local associations.
Activities like the upcoming ‘shop-hop,’ sponsored by a group of retailers,
reveal how well they work together, and how they share innovative approaches
to markets.”
According to the Lowe Foundation Report online, from 1999-2009, business
growth increased 19 percent in Cobb County establishments that opened and
expanded businesses. “Given the business growth experienced by the county as
a whole, Smyrna’s strong contributions to that growth and expected population
increases, it is an ideal location for a business,” Jones says.
When I started thinking of Challenge the
Process and that leaders search for opportunities to change the status
quo and they look for innovative ways to improve the organization. It stood
out to me that Mayor Bacon was taking risks despite the fact that he doesn’t
think he was doing so. This type of leadership experiments and takes risks, and
because leaders know that risk taking involves mistakes and failures, they
accept the inevitable disappointments as learning opportunities. The mayor
created the trend for the small business community to feel good about Smyrna.
“Small business owners see Smyrna as a safe, accessible community with
affordable commercial space and housing options,” says Andrea Hall,
redevelopment coordinator for the City of Smyrna. “If a small business wants
to get involved in the community, there are many opportunities. The Smyrna
Business Association is an established fixture for networking and
professional development. Some business owners are Partners in Education with
Cobb County schools, while others participate in the Rotary Club or Golden K
Kiwanis. And the city hosts many annual festivals and events in the downtown
district that offer a variety of business participation and sponsorship
opportunities.”
Hall says the city diligently supports the small business community. For
example, the city employs two staff members dedicated solely to economic
development. And, to help promote growth, businesses that relocate to one of
the city’s designated Opportunity Zones or create new jobs or capital
investments may qualify for economic incentives such as state job tax
credits. This was all the mayors’ idea from my understanding from his
assistant Christy Ullman whom I talked with via phone before my interview
with the Mayor.
The mayor also seems
to be able to take a risk by keeping the taxes low to invite business growth
but generate a good revenue stream even through Smyrna’s low property tax
rate, which makes up 40 percent of its general fund revenues, also has been a
bonus for businesses of all types. Despite significant decreases in the
property tax digest over the last five years, efficient budget management has
allowed city officials to maintain a low tax rate of 8.99 millage since 2007.
It last raised its millage rate in 1991. “Smyrna is one of the more trendy
communities in metro Atlanta” says Brooks Mathis, VP of economic development
for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. “From food products, to wine retailer, and
eateries, its culture and proximity to Atlanta make it a wonderful place to
grow a business. Many businesses appreciate its proactive approach to
adopting an incentive policy to assist new and existing businesses of all
sizes to grow. The stability in Smyrna can be seen through the diverse
companies that call it home.” Glock Inc. Atlanta Bread Company. Kenny’s Pies.
Atkins Park. Zucca Pizza. “The success and diversity of Smyrna is in each of
these company’s stories,” Mayor Bacon says. “The energy of Smyrna is
attractive.”
Mayor Bacon also
commented that, “City officials are committed to raising our community’s
quality of life. It’s all around us. They keep taxes low. Our infrastructure
and quality of services are second to none. And despite what’s happening with
the economy, growth and opportunity surrounds us.” That small win philosophy
popped into my head thinking of each of the small business they are trying to
attract and given every opportunity then to web themselves within the
community by serving on various boards and committees. It also just so
happens that the long list of associations, committees, and boards that I
introduced earlier in this paper that Mayor Bacon is on are the same I am
pointing out right now. Leaders foster
collaboration and build spirited teams the act of enabling others, as the
authors would put in. They actively involve others. Leaders understand that
mutual respect is what sustains extraordinary efforts; they strive to create
an atmosphere of trust and human dignity. They strengthen others, making each
person feel capable and powerful. I didn’t ask him a question about the way
in which he fosters collaboration because I found that within the
observations from talking with various staff members during the pre and post
interview with Mayor Bacon. I found that Mayor Bacon has been around so long
and set so many things into motion the building of trust within city hall and
all of the members collaborate with him because for the most part he has
something to do with everything that has transpired with the city hall for 30
years. Because of this people go to him as the expert and no one feels intimidated
by that process. I think because he is very inviting and warm. Mayor Bacon
slows things down so you feel as if you’re being heard and things are not
insignificant. I think from what I observed this strengthens others by know
they are knowledgeable, competent, and support through him. In the creating
of a climate the idea of trust as pointed out by the authors Kouzes &
Posner is the best investment a leader can make.
One thing in which I think was
the amazing that Mayor Bacon imitated that was very unique and self-reflecting
was the middle school essay contest. He showed me a couple of the essays and
interestingly enough they point out many of the same key points that he does.
If I Were Mayor, I Would
Keera McDonald
Woodward Academy
“If I were mayor, I
would make my town a better place to live by focusing on tourism and
increasing jobs. I
present just a few of my ideas and how I would achieve these goals.
First, I will meet with
my city council to agree on a new budget that includes money to
promote tourism.
I will advertise my
town’s positive attributes. This will attract more tourists, create new
jobs and further
increase tax revenue. There are many historic homes and natural attractions
in
Coweta County where I
live. I would advertise these historical and natural attractions by
marketing on a social
network like Facebook, a site that is popular with many people. I would
also organize a Make
Our Town Beautiful Day to encourage all citizens to plant trees and
flowers and clean up
litter. We might also hold an annual Flower Festival to raise funds for
renovations to the
town.
My second objective is
to boost employment. My efforts to increase tourism will
contribute to this
goal. The other reason I will increase jobs is to reduce foreclosed
properties
which make the town
less attractive to tourists. I will also propose to the city council to
impose
fines on banks if they
neglect the foreclosed homes in our town.
Mayors can’t solve all
of the town’s problems by themselves! So, as mayor, I will
organize a monthly
Monday Nights with the Mayor at the town hall. All the citizens with ideas
for accomplishing our
goals for quality of life and tourism growth can participate. I would take
my city council on visits to well
run, regional towns to share ideas about town development.”
As we looked over the essay
together Mayor Bacon laughed and said I see the town hall meeting has come up
again. Interestingly, enough opponents of the mayors have often said that the
mayor is hiding he has had one town hall meeting the whole time he has been
the mayor and that one apparently had enough drama that he shut down the town
hall meetings. One of the council members was arrested during that meeting
and some have said it was initiated by Mayor Bacon himself. I have found that Mayor Bacon is very
reflective of his actions. I asked him if he thought this of himself and his
response was, “When done well, the
individual receiving the feedback will feel as though they received a gift;
something that will enhance their career and enable them to be creative
and communicative with a clear vision is incredibly difficult for most
leaders.” Yet this is something for which I think Mayor Bacon has a special
talent and gift. Great leaders excel at creating and communicating a vision…it’s
a big part of what makes them great.
But the feedback that he gives his staff and other members of the community I
think is his most valued asset although it was not evident to me until I put
the research together. Providing
feedback as a leader is critical to direct the team towards success.
If we as leaders do it correctly, we educate and motivate the
team members all at the same time. Get it wrong, and we send them into
a downward spiral towards poor performance and possibly even their departure.
I
decided at this point in the interview I would ask a question that I have
heard is a very difficult question to figure out but for me I felt it would
give a great indication of what type of leader Mayor Bacon was and is. I
asked him. What’s the difference between leadership and management?
Mayor Bacon explained it this way, “Management is like herding chickens – you
do it from the rear, with a long thin twig of some sort, and you try to keep
all the hens on the same path. To the hens, you are a major irritant, and the
hens to you are an endlessly repeating challenge. Leadership, on the other
hand, is done from the front, and requires significant and mutual trust; you
must trust that they will follow, and they, your followers, must trust that
you know where we’re all going.” I have never really heard it put that way
before and I was so impressed with this answer it took me a minute to come
back to the interview. We just laughed and I told him I wish I had some old
story connections to make with people so I had interesting connections. Even
in the book the authors discuss the point of storytelling and the benefit
that it comes with for connections and relating to the story teller/leader.
Going back to the four factors for a leader according to Deluga & College,
2000: 1) charisma; 2) inspiration; 3) individual consideration; and 4)
intellectual stimulation; I would consider Mayor Bacons strongest core
element to be his charisma. This leads me to the point of respectfully agreeing
with the authors of “The Leadership Challenge”. I can point to several books
and courses I have read and taken to support my findings, but take these
facts in hand as we begin to understand the role of a mayoral leader?
One of the first books I
read on leadership was Giuliani’s “Leadership” I found Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani’s leadership to be flawless in the aftermath of the terrorist attack
on the World Trade Center. Of course, the Mayor Giuliani is not flawless he
is human like the rest of us, but during the crisis his performance was
blemish-free. I then realized that pointing out earlier that during Hurricane
Katrina, Mayor Ray Nagin was considered to have the same leadership
qualities. After advancing my understanding of what categorizes of leadership
in the zillions of classes I have taken I have come to the conclusion that
disaster makes it “easier” to bring please together.
So much that define a
leader is luck did Mayor Giuliani and Nagin, in effect, have it “easy” in
this crisis because the spirit and emotions of the time generated a unity
probably never before seen among the people in their cities and a yearning
for strong leadership. Given the nature of
the events, it seems
ludicrous to refer to the Mayor’s task as easy; they did an extraordinary
job under the
most trying circumstances and it is impossible, at least for this writer, to imagine
many others who could have done the same. The compassion and charisma of
these leaders is a key component as to why they are considered to be great.
That these mayors were born with compassion and charisma.
Charismatic Leaders use vision to build group
cohesion. Conger & Kanungo (1994) describe five behavioral attributes of
Charismatic Leaders that indicate a more transformational viewpoint: 1)
vision and articulation, 2) sensitivity to the environment, 3) sensitivity to
member needs, 4) personal risk taking, 5) performing unconventional behavior.
After reviewing the interview and the notes about
Mayor Bacon I was thinking he was originally a Charismatic Leader. But I
would like to point out that he has the elements of Kouzes & Posner but
it labels his leadership style. I would consider him a Values-centered Leadership (Lance
Secretan, 2000), which is based on the key idea that leadership has timeless
values that help us to be of service to others. These "Primary
Values" help Mayor Bacon with his own personal growth through: 1)
Mastery: Undertaking whatever he does to the highest standards of which he is
capable, 2) Chemistry: He seems to be relating so well with others that they
actively seek to associate themselves with him, 3) Delivery: He also seems to
identifying the needs of others and meets them with respect and a passion for
being of service to them. As Kouzes & Posner conclude in their book it’s
saying that leadership is not an affair of the head but an affair of the
heart.
The fact that I didn’t point out about Mayor Bacon is a very active
Christian was purposeful, because I wanted to focus on other elements of
leadership that might be more tangible as we examine the elements of Kouzes
& Posner. In reality, I am inclined to think that if a person is of the
right mindset, compassionate, and somewhat knowledgeable they can be any
effective leader. The five core practices common to all: they Model
the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to
Act, and last but certainly not least, they Encourage the Heart. The
Encouragement of the heart is the element I would like to focus as I conclude
my findings on Mayor Bacon. He is leading by his heart, which is the place
inside us that defines who we are, what we believe, how we decide and which
direction we take others. It is where wisdom is birthed and the ability to
enjoy life begins. When I asked Mayor Bacon about what defines us as leaders
his answer was; “Our heart is where our deepest passions reside and most
meaningful dreams originate. Our worship of God flows from the heart and it
is where we carry the people we love. Our best performance tends to flow from
the heart.” Honestly I am of the opinion that too many leaders only pay lip
service to growing their hearts, developing character, and becoming more
worthy leaders. And as a result, they become a “pretend” leader and the
members of the organization have a negative feeling that erodes the impact that
the leader might have been able to make being “real” honest and humble.
With God’s direction Mayor
Bacon points to the heart and spirit within as a guide and when this happens
everyone wins. In this interview the specific characteristics of authentic
leadership that does make extreme changes all of a sudden but the consistent
and steady change builds the community in this example and building a
leadership style that begins with mayor Bacon but seems to emanate not only on
the inside of his life and works outward to the people within city hall, but
throughout the community.
Finally, I
wanted to dissect the questions and answers that Mayor Bacon gave me during
out interview.
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- What makes a good leader?
The ability to attract people to follow and the
vision, discipline, and wisdom to take them somewhere. Good leaders are
willing to sacrifice of themselves to help people accomplish something of
value, which they may not be willing or know how to do on their own.
- How have you grown as a
leader over your lifetime?
Experience, both good and bad and the investment
of others in my life. I’m a wisdom seeker.
- What mentor has influenced
you most and why?
Without a doubt, Jesus. He is the ultimate
leader. His principles of servitude, intentionality and vision are unmatched.
In an earthly sense, my high school principal took a special interest in me
while I served as president of the student body my senior year.
- How important is character
in leadership?
I’m not sure one can separate the two. I
certainly understand most of the definitions for leadership would allow a
person of poor character to be called a leader, but my personal opinions
won’t allow it. Certainly to be “great” leadership, one would need to desire
to be a person of noble character.
- What would be your advice
to me as to how I can grow as a leader?
The best advice I can give is to find something
to lead. Volunteer at church or in the community. Most organizations need
more willing leaders and the best way to learn leadership is to do it. Also,
do what you are doing now. Become an intentional wisdom-seeker. Surround
yourself with people who you believe are leading well. Ask a good leader to
mentor you. Read the books and blogs that talk about leadership.
- What should I avoid to be
a good leader?
Avoid the temptation to settle for mediocre.
It’s easy to lead the mundane, lackluster, or half-hearted efforts. Leading
at higher levels is hard. It’s messy, because it involves change, risk, and
fear. Push through those things, ground yourself in Scripture and in accountability
to others, build discipline in your life, and you’ll keep improving as a
leader. I concluded this interview and paper is not as much about Mayor Bacon
and is he or is he not a great leader or about whether others could have
equaled his performance. It is about stewardship guiding, observed, spiritually
nurturing other people within the community. By interviewing and discussing
his performance as the mayor and his team, and the visibility of that
performance I have learned that the most important element of leadership is
the heart and soul you provide others opportunity to examine themselves in
detail the components of exemplary leadership.
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Reference:
Barone, M. (2005). Blame aplenty. U.S. News &
World Report, Process. Boston: Irwin/McGraw Hill, pp. 302-305. Beignets back,
Nagin wants residents back, too.
Conger, J. A. & Kanungo, R. N. (1994). Charismatic
Leadership in Organizations: Perceived Behavioral Attributes and Their
Measurement. Journal of Organizational Behavior , Vol. 15(5), pp. 439-452.
Connor, D. (2006) Managing
at the Speed of Change, How Resilient managers Succeed and Prosper where Others Fail, Random House
Publishing, New York New York.
Deluga, R. & College, B. (2000). Relationship of
Transformational and Transactional Leadership with Employee Influencing
Strategies. In J. Pierce & J. Newstrom, (Eds.), Leaders and the
leadership process readings, self-assessments & applications. Boston:
Irwin McGraw-Hill.
Kotter, J. (1995) Leading
Change, 8-Step Change Model, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Massachusetts.
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