Leadership - John Howard, What Went Wrong?
Friday, December 7th, 2007John Howard was the second longest serving prime minister of Australia, serving from 1996 to 2007. In the 2004 election he and the Liberal-National Party coalition were re-elected in a landslide victory. At that time it seemed he and his government could do no wrong.
Yet, just a couple of weeks ago, the Liberal-National coalition were ousted from government in a stunning defeat, and John Howard even lost his own seat.
What went wrong? I’m no political expert. But let me suggest a theory. A theory that may be food for thought for others who aspire to lead - in politics, business or some other capacity.
I’ve been pondering this theory since reading Jim Collins’s fantastic book, Good To Great, about how “good” companies become “great” companies. One of the key factors required for a good company to become great is what Collins calls “Level 5 Leadership” at the CEO level.
Among other things, Level 5 leaders have a unique combination of humility and ambition. Importantly, though, this ambition is ambition for their companies, not so much personal ambition. In other words, they are far more concerned about helping their companies succeed, rather than helping themselves achieve personal wealth or accolades.
So what kind of leader was John Howard? Although I personally did not agree with some of his government’s policies (particularly those relating to the war on Iraq, employment laws and the environment) and his stance against Australia becoming a republic, I do believe that he and his government were pretty good economic managers. I also think that Mr Howard displayed many of the Level 5 traits.
Put it this way - he was certainly no egomaniac oozing with charisma. On the contrary, he seemed fairly humble and dedicated to doing what he believed to be best for Australia. And he worked hard to bring about the policies he believed would benefit the country. In accordance with the traits of Level 5 leaders, he also built a strong ministerial team - probably best epitomized by the treasurer, Peter Costello.
However, in my estimation, John Howard made two fatal flaws which led to the defeat of his government. The first one was failing to pass the leadership baton to Peter Costello and not allowing for (at least the appearance of) a fresh, new government team to compete with the invigorated Kevin Rudd-led Labor party in the lead-up to the 2007 election.
The second was failing to read the shift in the Australian people’s mood on such matters as the Iraq war, employment laws and environment. Had the government realized how unpopular some its policies had become and made significant changes earlier, it may not have endured such a backlash at the recent Federal election.
Of course, I’m by no means being original when I suggest these reasons as being the key causes of the Howard government’s defeat. And, by the way, it’s easy to say what went wrong with the benefit of hindsight! But the point I wish to make is that, in the context of Good To Great, John Howard was almost a Level 5 leader… but didn’t quite get there.
He didn’t get there because, whether myth or reality, he had bought into the idea that he was indispensable to the leadership of both the Liberal Party and the nation. That is not the sign of someone who has prepared either his party or country for greatness beyond having him at the helm. And for political parties and governments - as well as companies - to be great, leaders must make it a priority to prepare others to lead just as well, if not better, than they.
So… for others who lead or aspire to lead, you are wise to build up a leadership team that can competently take over when you are no longer around. Otherwise, you may well miss the chance to create something that’s not just good, but great.
