Executive Leaders: the "Companion" theory!

"Would Bapu exist without Ba?" A question that I had put forth in one of my earlier postings..

Mr. President, Obama, starts his first official speech to the Congress, by saying, "My dear Congressmen, ... ... , and the first lady of the United States.." Reinforcing the locus of his personal strength..

The question of the existence of leaders, in absence of their pivotal support points.. I found a few relevant quotes to the answer in most unexpected places.. In the readings for one of my classes..

"Leaders cannot succeed on their own; even the most outwardly confident executives need support and advice. Without strong relationships to provide perspective, it is very easy to loose your way.

... ... After their hardest day, leaders find comfort in being with people on whom they can rely so they can be open and vulnerable. During the low points, they cherish the friends (read: relations) who appreciate them for who they are, not what they are. Authentic leaders find that their support teams (read: family) provide affirmation, advice, perspective, and call for course correction when needed.

... ... It starts with having at least one person in your life with whom you can be completely yourself, warts and all, and still be accepted unconditionally. Often, that person is the only one who can tell you the honest truth. Most leaders have their closest relationship with their spouses.. ... ..."

You might be wondering, where does this come from? This comes from the horses mouth, one of the most esteemed journals of executive world: Harvard Business Review.. Believe it or not, it is true!

("Discovering your authentic leadership, 2007, by Bill George, Peter Sims, Andrew N. McLean, and Diana Mayer, from Harvard Business Review, pp. 1-9)