How Wise Leaders Demonstrate Role Clarity

Wise leaders perform whatever role they take on without emotional attachment—assuming that role with what one might call detached engagement. They have no qualms giving up their existing role when circumstances require it. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the CEO of Biocon, a leading Indian biotech firm, is a good example. She has dedicated her life to finding a cure for diabetes. She invested many years and millions of R&D dollars in developing an oral insulin solution that might have been a breakthrough in the field of diabetes care. But when some of the clinical trials failed to validate the effectiveness of the oral insulin solution, Shaw was willing to reevaluate the whole R&D project without any emotional drama, including the possibility of terminating the project if the clinical data did not justify continuing the research efforts.²⁰ Although she was willing to give up her role leading the oral insulin project if the clinical data so indicated, she remained committed to her purpose: to find an affordable cure for diabetes.

Wise leaders are able to consistently demonstrate role clarity in that they lead with enthusiasm and clarity from the front or, conversely, they mentor others in the leadership position to succeed, taking a supporting role with the same enthusiasm and clarity. Many wise leaders seem to feel that each role they play has an opportunity for leadership—to be a traditional leader or a servant leader.

Because wise leaders have no role confusion between what needs to get done and who is best at carrying out that role, they act as trustees or servant leaders in whatever actions and roles they accept. As we mentioned earlier, N. R. Narayana Murthy, cofounder of Infosys, stepped down as CEO when he turned fifty-six years old and relinquished his chairman role when he turned sixty-five because he wanted to give others a chance to lead the company. Murthy then assumed many other professional roles, including government advisor, board member, philanthropist, investor, and mentor to young entrepreneurs in his career, and in each role, he exhibited integrity and thoughtfulness with a strong commitment to serve. Many people who interacted with him across these roles, as well as in private, have told us how amazed they were by the consistency of his character and commitment to contribution. They describe his warmth, empathy, and lack of ego, echoing our own impressions of him.

Acting as a steward or a servant leader is one of the most difficult roles to play for leaders who tend to operate in the red zone because they know they have great influence and power in swaying others and it feels good and appropriate to do so. To allow others to make their own mistakes and help them without any judgment, and to learn from their mistakes and guide them with empathy and compassion to discover their own genius, requires red zone leaders to let go of their ego. Peter Block, the author of Stewardship and a consultant on leadership to many large organizations, gave us advice a few years ago as we prepared to host a large international conference at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, India. “You might be the convener and think that participants and speakers are coming for your conference,” he told us. “But it is actually their conference and you have been given the privilege to convene. Remember that your job is to serve them and make this experience the best they had, and when you do that well, then you have done your duty.”²¹

Wise leaders are great team players: they seek partnerships and collaborate with others instead of wanting all the glory and rewards that go with a leadership position. They recognize that leadership is primarily a stewardship role that consists of developing others and producing value through others. There are times when one does not have to let go of power but can share it with others or collaborate with others, as wise leaders seem willing to do to serve a larger purpose. Guided by their noble purpose rather than their ego, wise leaders strive to create a sense of shared ownership and common purpose across their span of control.

President Abraham Lincoln famously appointed four of his political rivals to his cabinet (three of them had previously run against Lincoln in the 1860 election). Historians point out that he didn’t mind giving them major roles in his government because he felt the country needed a government with a well-rounded perspective. Throughout his professional career as a lawyer, Lincoln had cultivated and maintained cordial relationships with his rivals: he believed that by staying engaged with those with opposing perspectives, he could hone the logic of his positions and better defend them. When he ran for president, he staffed his campaign team primarily with his legal rivals, who helped craft his strategy for nomination and election.²² President Obama did the same by appointing former senator Hillary Clinton, his rival for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, as secretary of State. He also asked Secretary of Defense Robert Gates from the previous Republican administration to retain that role.

In addition, wise leaders are discerning about the role they want to play and have the self-awareness to know which roles they are fully qualified to assume and which ones are better taken by others. Legendary investor Warren Buffett, for example, realized that great investors don’t necessarily make great philanthropists. Rather than setting up his foundation and running it himself, he instead chose to donate tens of billions of dollars of his personal fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to be used for charitable work (he pledged to donate 99 percent of his wealth to the foundation).

Moreover, wise leaders infuse their role with enthusiasm and authenticity. Whatever role they choose to perform, they project their authentic self—the true essence of their being—through that role and show genuine enthusiasm and determination to get the best job done. In artistic terms, wise leaders bring credibility to their professional role by projecting their personal charisma and energy. The celebrated actor Robert De Niro brings his movie roles to life by disappearing into the character. Commenting on De Niro’s performance as a restless young hoodlum in the film Mean Streets, the British film critic David Thomson noted: “It looked as if a rogue had come in off the streets.” De Niro is known for extensively and meticulously studying his scripted characters before playing them, and yet when he performs in front of the camera, he taps into his innate creative talent—and his signature intensity—to bring these characters to life by infusing them with his own genuine self. “When De Niro walks on the set, you can feel his presence, but he never behaves like a movie star, just an actor. And when he acts, his sheer concentration permeates the whole set,” noted director Alan Parker.²³