Good artists take a set of material - a stone slab or a collection of paints and a canvas - and bring life to a vision. Going through some of my photos made me realize quality leaders are like artists.
For me, my canvas as an artist is a camera. I try to see things within a landscape that may otherwise go unnoticed. In these two photos from Artists Point in Grand Marais, MN, I saw unique shapes hidden and waiting to be noticed and captured. In the banner photo, I saw a snake with a small stick coming out of its mouth that looked like a cigarette. In the other photo, I saw lichen shaped like a horse's head with a lovely mane.
Shouldn't leaders see the people they are charged to develop with an artist's eye?
Good leaders, whether they be coaches, business leaders, parents, teachers, etc., want to be a part of creating something special in people. In order to be considered their best boss, such leaders need to think differently and help others develop a vision for those people they don't even have for themselves.
The person may be a beautiful block of marble that has the beginnings of the final vision uncovered. There will be veins in the stone and different color variations completely unique to that person which need to be teased out of the stone. Chisel too much and the special nature of that vein is lost. Do too little and it's never seen.
In The Four Fundamental Forces of Leadership, I dig into this topic more and how leaders are available to guide someone to find the art in their own marble rather than trying to create it on their own for the person.
Such artistic leadership requires patience. It requires listening and reflection. It allows the person to find their own inspiration to become what is possible for them, not you.
You may help the person start the work, opening up some of the art you see within them. When they are catalyzed, they will take it forward. You may help them chisel some parts off of the marble at times when they are stuck.
The art that comes from the marble may end up being something much different than what you, or they, thought was in there. No matter. The good leaders have a lasting impact and help the person see the vision within themselves and enable them to press forward with creating the vision that's within the stone.
