The Best STRATEGIC Manager's Award I have seen being given was to a Manager who went on a family Holiday when the most critical delivery was to be made by his team. You may say he should be fired. What's so strategic about going on leave when the team was delivering critical actions ?
Whilst I see that point of view and agree to a large extent... but I am using this only to trigger another line of logic. What if the leader gave his strategic inputs to the team, appointed a competent team, was confident of their ability to deliver, was monitoring performance and delivery from distance and would be available to the team should anything have fallen apart. Would would still fire him for not being available ?
Some leaders are disruptive if available at the critical moments when their presence is not required. They add loops of unwanted supervision that fulfills their Power needs more than adding Value. Their interference would be only disturbing and distracting. Would you then give such a nervous or insecure leader, a Strategic Award for merely being present at the critical delivery time leading to value distraction and destruction than anything else ?
That is the Million Dollar Question if leadership is evaluated only through its symbolic behaviours and extrovert screens. He who dresses with panache, speaks fluenty with style, makes confident sounds is not necessarily better leadership than its twin - the Silent Leader.
Positive role models and team players who often try to solve problems through collaboration, logical thought and encouragement rather than aggression or dominance are not valued as much. But that is the problem with quiet leadership.
In a world that often values extroversion and symbolic behaviours, it time to
recognize the power of Quiet Leadership.