Aliens and Leadership In Leadership

Have you ever been in a meeting, maybe at work or at the PTA or the local chapter of a Menudo Fan Club (don't judge me), when you are listening to the person in charge and think, "there is no possible way that this person is for real. This is an alien. No resident of planet Earth would take this seriously." But you still sit there and listen and perhaps even nod your head from time to time. You know that for the time being, this person is your leader, and also that it is generally frowned upon to stand in a crowded room, point your finger at the presenter, and accuse them of being another life form.

So you wait until you are in the parking lot and then discuss your suspicions with your fellow hostages.

Other times, your esteemed leaders simply seem to be overwhelmed, buckling under the pressure of leading the team and allowing themselves to be pulled in every direction by well-meaning (and some not-so-well-meaning) members of the group. They are akin to a ball of silly-putty: fun to have around and great at starting conversations, but ultimately more facilitator than navigator.

And, once in a while, you come across a leader who is a little of both: one who is open to the crazy and willing to be convinced, but also not afraid to take the wheel and fly the committee into a completely new galaxy. It's this kind of leadership that can make you feel like even though you may be light years from where you started, your team has the flexibility and strength it needs to be successful.

The truth is, both aliens and silly-putty have deserved places in leadership. A lot of great ideas seem crazy at first, and we all know it takes a lot of flexibility to work as a team, attack a problem from different angles, and mold a solution from what at first seemed like a pile of goo no one wanted to touch. As long as by the end of the day you've managed to land safely back on planet Earth, it's all just part of the lead/follow process.

So which kind of leader are you? Regardless, I challenge you to climb aboard the ship with me and allow yourself to become part alien, part silly-putty: speaking a new language, but flexible enough to come back down to Earth.

-Heather Fuselier