Unveiling the Essence of Leadership: What 'Right' Truly Looks Like

What Does 'Right' Look Like?

Is it a color, a smell, a feeling? What?

What if I asked what does wrong look like? That question is a little easier to answer. Wrong looks like something that isn't right.

In leadership, it's often easy to point out when someone did something wrong. Anyone who has ever led employees knows that when something goes wrong, someone is waiting to tell you about it.

But when something goes right, it's not quite the same.

We've all heard the saying, "Don't make the same mistake twice," because mistakes are easy to see; they are wrong.

After spending 27 years in the US Army and retiring as a Colonel, I started a second career in the private sector. During my military career, we always had a blueprint for knowing what right looked like. It was regimented, documented, drilled into everything we did.

Excellence was the standard, and everyone knew how to get there because we could 'see' it.

It's what we trained to.

It was just right.

Transitioning to the private sector, I quickly learned that my new employees were some of the best I had ever led. But with one very big difference.

No one knew what right looked like.

I even had a hard time explaining what right looked like to my new team.

In the private sector, right wasn't written down. We didn't have daily training on how to do things. Somehow things just got done. Leadership isn't just about getting things done, that's management.

A leader is responsible for the growth and development of those under their charge. It's teaching people how to think for themselves, identify a problem, and implement solutions to overcome them. Leaders provide opportunity, resources, and mentorship so everyone we lead knows what right looks like.

And this isn't new information. In fact, you can cite multiple sources that validate this very concept. Reflecting on this, I'm reminded of Jim Collins' insight in Good to Great about getting the right people on the bus and then figuring out where to drive it. In the military, the bus was already moving, and everyone knew their seat. In the private sector, it's like playing musical chairs on a bus that's swerving through traffic.

Whether I was leading a soldier or a civilian, the commonality was always the people. As expressed by renowned author John C. Maxwell in his impactful book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership , "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." As highlighted by Simon Sinek in his renowned book Start with Why , "Leadership is no different when it comes to defining 'why.' People don't just buy what you do; they buy why you do it. It's the 'why' that defines right in leadership—the compass that guides us to our destination."

That's what 'right' looks like to me. It's about influencing people positively, helping them discover their own path to right.

So, while I may have swapped my uniform for a business suit, the essence of my role hasn't changed. It's about igniting that spark in people and watching them become beacons for others. It's not about rigid protocols. It's about mentoring and guiding, and sometimes stepping aside to let others shine.

In the end, whether in the military or the natural gas industry, 'right' is about fostering an environment where people can grow and lead.

It's about laying the groundwork for success, not just for the immediate mission, but for the future leaders who will someday step into our shoes.

Striving for this kind of right—not just doing things right but doing the right things—is what leadership is all about.

And let me tell you, when you nail it, it's not just good, it's great!

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Written by Col John Olshefski

John is a titan in the energy and natural gas industry. Having served as the Chairman of the APGA, long-time leader at Huntsville Utilities, and other impactful industry roles. John loves to speak, write, and chat about leadership and all things relating to utilities and the energy industry.

Want to see more of John? Check out the multiple times he has been a guest on Coffee with Jim & James!