LEADERS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE 223tant to them was the greater good of the organization. And to make
this happen, the leadership would set the example by acting that way
themselves. They would ensure a sense of passion and pride in the
organization.
Know Thyself
What also contributed to the effectiveness of these three organizations
was the fact that all three leaders had the emotional intelligence to have
a realistic grasp of their own weaknesses, and fi nd people with corre-
sponding strengths to compensate. Branson has had a series of strong
managers to compensate for his weaknesses. Barnevik would depend on
a number of colleagues who had been working with him for a long time,
some giving him advice on long - term business developments, the others
giving him tactical support. Welch had two vice - chairmen with whom
he would form a team. He was also a regular participant in GE ’ s now -
famous ‘ work - out sessions, ’ which would give employees a safe way to
taste empowerment and criticize standard operating practices.
The charismatic role of leaders
So far we have seen how Percy Barnevik, Jack Welch, and Richard
Branson handled the architectural role in the way they designed their
respective organizations and set up the proper control and reward systems.
But there is also another essential part of what leadership is all about:
the charismatic role, which has to do with the envisioning, empowering,
and energizing elements of leadership. Without alignment between the
charismatic with the architectural dimensions of leadership, an organiza-
tion will fl ounder. Unfortunately, in far too many organizations, align-
ment is missing.
The Overriding Vision
What made these leaders and their organizations so successful is that all
three had a strong picture of what they wanted to do, and where they
wanted to go. They provided focus; they knew how to set the direction
for their organization, and how to build commitment to following that
direction. They wanted their people to feel proud of their organizations;
they wanted them to experience their organizations as something special.
And by pushing responsibility down the line and encouraging dialogue