Great leaders have always been posed with the challenge of pressures from numerous directions; in accommodating all. Most of us recognize the thick skin leaders must have to be successful and effective. In most situations leaders want to be in a position to appease and keep everyone content and often dread the position of having to say No in order to maintain the solvency of an organization. As we have become a more comprehensive world decisions have also become more difficult and required the boldness and courage of leaders to make the right decision. Leaders have to become gutsy to say No when the need to have the foresight for the betterment of a country or whatever the situation may be. It truly needs to be reviewed from a perspective of timing and weighing the positive and negatives to a situation.
Let’s now take a look at past great leaders whom have been placed in a situation of leadership by saying No. During President Ronald Reagan’s administration he was confronted to make a bold decision; when the threat of a strike by the Air Traffic Controls had tried to strong arm the President. The Air Traffic Controllers had been lobbying for higher wages and had forgotten about their employment contractual agreement. Their Position of Striking would have placed America in a very vulnerable position domestically and internationally. President Reagan had forewarned the Air Traffic Controls that if they strike they would immediately be fired on the spot without recourse; they had forgotten about the governmental regulations and security policies issues that directly impacted their profession. Some called the President some pretty awful names, a fascist being one of them. In my view President Ronald Reagan indeed has been one of Americas great Presidents and without a doubt amongst the greatest; if not the greatest, in knowing how to communicate to the people of America. Therefore, President Reagan saying No to the Air Traffic Controls was like what it must have been like seeing Picasso doing his very artistic work, seeing President Reagan handling leadership by saying No was observing political Art at its best.
Let’s take a look of what a great management guru has said about leaders whom have said No and the necessity to say No. Through discussion of this article I want to paraphrase the great Peter Drucker who during an interview once said that “Good leaders know how to establish a mission. And another thing, they know how to say No. Dr. Drucker further stated: “Effective leaders are the ones who learn how to say No and stick with it. It is important to keep in mind that leaders ought not to be leaders for the purpose of being popular for those whom at time end up being popular are also the one’s who get nothing done.
When one of America’s industrial great leaders such as Henry Ford the founder of the Ford Motor Company was posed with his employee’s of threatening to strike while they were attempting to unionize Mr. Ford said to them “If you strike on me I’ll starve you.” The workers didn’t strike but Mr. Ford formed one of the best employee benefit package for his employees of his time. When Mr. Ford said No he meant it and No was absolutely No. But yet his leadership led to taking care of his employee’s and his employee’s loved him, just like most American’s love Ronald Reagan.
Dr. Richard C. Baiz is a Doctorate in Business Administration. He is a College and Corporate Personal/Leadership Development Instructor and Coach. Dr. Baiz is an expert in Personal/Organizational Development and Management. Dr Baiz gets his clients top notch successful results fast:Personal and Leadership Development
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