“Leadership is like pornography” announced our instructor, Mark Smith, the first night of class entitled “Leading Strategically”.
When Mark made that bold declaration I’m sure each one of us class members had our own perceptions running through our minds, our own perception of leadership, our own perception of pornography, and wondering how on earth the two were alike.
If we were to have compared our perceptions, some would be similar, but each would be different as well.
Wait a minute … each would be different … but that’s what we each believe … what we each believe leadership to be … what we each believe pornography to be … that means we all believe something different … all of us, our beliefs are different … who is right? … who is wrong?
I Am Right You Are Wrong, written by Dr. Edward de Bono, is the title of our text for this course.
Wow! I couldn’t help but think … Ouch! … the arrogance of that title! But isn’t that really what each one of us is thinking, even if we don’t come right out and say it?… I am right you are wrong!
I’ll have to admit, I’m very anxious to dig into this book of Dr. de Bono’s and see what he has to say and how it might relate to strategic leadership.
By the way, would you like to know how leadership is like pornography? … each are difficult to define, but you sure recognize them when you see them!
A Journey in Leadership 