What It Takes: Leadership From Below (page 1 of 2)

But in politics as in business, leadership isn't a solo performance. The top gun must depend on those just below, as well as on a raft of managers leading the groups and divisions that constitute the whole. And those individuals must be strong leaders in their own right, able to make effective decisions and think strategically. At least that's how it should be, says Michael Useem, professor of management at Wharton and director of the university's Center for Leadership and Change.

In Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win, Useem makes the case that being No. 2 doesn't mean playing second fiddle or simply - merely - following orders. Good leaders at all levels, he argues, do themselves a favor by understanding what's required of them and meeting the challenge head-on. His book explores this view of "upward leadership" through examples of good and bad behavior from the public and private sector (as well as the biblical sector, via a couple of Abraham's intrepid conversations with God).

Clearly, good leadership is no walk in the park. And times of crisis put the screws on leaders by crystallizing the demands made on them--and on those who work for them. "The universals of leadership are required that much more when the pressure is on, and the stress is great," notes Useem when asked about leadership post-September 11. "In addition, under a period of extraordinary anxiety that tests people - such as warfare, restructuring or downsizing - other needs become critical."

Words count much more, and they must be chosen very carefully, he says. Providing information becomes more crucial because people want to know where they stand. And those in charge must remain calm and must restore that sense in the population at large. This is true for leaders and their understudies.
So how did Dick Cheney, the nation's No. 2 man, fare in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks? "Cheney did a good job," says Useem. "He has experience and seasoned judgment, and in my view he didn't overstep himself, because he doesn't have an ego need to be upfront."

Cheney was a fast decision-maker. Minutes after the initial airplane collision, when the President was still in a Florida classroom, the V.P. stepped up to the plate. He recommended that the U.S. military be put on high alert and be authorized to shoot down errant aircraft if they appear to have been hijacked. "George Bush is his own man and makes his own decisions, but Cheney's input was important," says Useem. "In my view, he served the President and the country well by being a good person to fill in. Not that he's a paragon of success, but he's a pretty good model of what anyone in politics would want but usually doesn't get."

As the next person in the line of succession, the V.P. must ensure that people realize he has the qualities required of him, should his boss be out of commission, but he must do so without acting opportunistically. What's required of No. 1 in a time of crisis, however, is different. The President - or the CEO, if it's a business - must lay out a vision of the future, demand peak performance from those who work for him, and be visibly in control. At the same time, he must communicate ably with the public.

George W. gets a mixed review from Useem. The nation's chief executive took (literally) a few hours to get his feet on the ground on September 11.