There are many parallels between great leaders and great, iconic design. Five come immediately to mind. Great design/great leaders are:
1. Functional
Talk is cheap. So is eye-candy-only design. Well, actually, both are sometimes ridiculously expensive. But the best designs are simply functional. The exhaustively-copied Fender Stratocaster electric guitar and the click wheel of the Apple iPod jump to mind.
Great leaders get things done. They make an impact and leave a legacy of completion. “Leaders” who talk and brainstorm but never get their hands dirty are probably not leading anything more than a crowd of bobble-heads.
Does your leadership cause things to get accomplished?
2. Attractive
In the design world this certainly involves physical attractiveness. More importantly, there is the attractiveness that invites people to participate and interact. I put the Wii-mote of Nintendo’s Wii in this category. Nintendo got elderly people to start playing video games for crying out loud!
Leaders don’t need to be physically attractive to have attractive leadership. Abraham Lincoln was one homely-looking dude, but people wanted to be around him and he was elected to America’s highest office. Some things that are attractive in a leader: vision, compassion, humanity, humility, good organization, confidence, etc.
Is your leadership attractive to people?
3. Solution-focused
Great designers didn’t arrive at great design by complaining about the “problems of the world.” They saw problems as opportunities. The Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane was designed for a very specific purpose: to intercept German bombers. It was painstakingly crafted to be fast, maneuverable, and adaptable. In the process they built one of the greatest fighting vehicles of all time. There wasn’t a curve or rivet out of place. I guess the British were getting tired of losing planes and rebuilding their houses.
Necessity is the mother of invention, indeed.
Another thing I love about the Spitfire is how its design was constantly tweaked throughout World War II, bringing it closer and closer to perfection.
Let’s not forget that leaders exist because there are problems in this world. Acknowledging these problems can propel us toward utter despair or the perfect solution. It’s our choice.
When you encounter problems as a leader, are you inspired to find solutions or do you complain about “the way things are?”
4. Approachable
Name an iconic, timeless design that isn’t simple on the surface. Go ahead, try it. Complexity is okay when it comes to the inner workings, but on the surface people need simplicity. The reason why is obvious. Complexity makes people feel dumb, and simplicity is more approachable.
Ever handed a four-year-old an iPad? They can figure it out in about four seconds.
Do people have to try to “figure you out?” Do they have to jump through all kinds of hoops before they can talk to you?
Approach-ability and simplicity are inextricably linked.
Are your vision and message simply stated? Are you approachable?
5. Ground-breaking
Leadership exists to keep people from taking the path of least resistance. Great design crashes into our rote and mundane lives and makes us feel alive and exited again. The BMC Mini was ground-breaking and influential when it first came out in 1959, with its front-wheel-drive layout leaving 80% of the car’s floorpan available for passengers and cargo. The Mini was named the second most influential automobile of the 20th century, after the Ford Model T.
The Mini’s designer, Sir Alec Issigonis, is quoted as saying, “One thing that I learnt the hard way – well not the hard way, the easy way – when you’re designing a new car for production, never, never copy the opposition.”
As leaders we need to play our game. What works in our context is not something that someone else can decide for us. It’s up to us to assess the need, cast the vision, and inspire the team. You can’t do that by following someone else’s moves.
Are you leading in ground-breaking ways, applying innovative solutions to unique problems?