TOPIC: Excellence in Leadership

TITLE: The Facets of Leadership and the Crucible Experience

Stephen Gall

Instructor: Professor Rebecca Graham

Course: MGMT 1000

Current as of: July 8, 2005


Many people can point to a time in their life when they were challenged by some event or experience, which, in their view, explains how they ended-up where they are today. Sometimes, experiences provide opportunities for people to become leaders, especially for those who have developed the personality, habits, and response mechanisms that prepare them for this role. When faced with certain key events or opportunities, these people respond by having a crucible experience, which can change their lives and compel them to display qualities of leadership.

There is little doubt that our habits, traits, and personality underlie our responses to all types of events, and even shape the probability of future events and responses, as over time, our experiences and responses provide feedback that further refines our response mechanisms. Our habits, attitudes and tendencies, developed throughout our lifetime and ingrained in our personality, directly influence our personal management style [3].

Some of these personality traits and learning habits can define and strengthen our leadership traits [4]. Many leadership traits, such as the ability recognize and ignore irrelevant issues, apply different perspectives to an issue, or keep extremely focused, give people the ability to respond to events by taking a leadership position [5]. People who take-up leadership roles also develop the ability to adapt to changing circumstances while staying personally centered and focused [8], and many times, take a course of action even when faced with overwhelming criticism [7]. The ability to develop trustworthiness is also a key personality trait of leaders. Peter Drucker gives the example of Harry Truman who was described as having a bland personality, yet people trusted him because he always did what he said he would do. Drucker proposes that trustworthiness may be the single most important component of continued leadership [12].

Besides these personality traits and the life experiences that help people craft their leadership style, there are factors that influence the quality of their leadership. These leadership quality factors include the ability to command attention, shape the discussion, and make the right decision.

Knowing how to manage attention behavior is a key factor in influencing others and being a successful leader. In our busy lives, and in an economy where capital, labor, and information abound, human attention is in short supply. Often, attention is the missing link between confusion and action [10]. For those in a leadership role, the ability to command attention often relies on the ability to display authenticity and show a willingness to listen. This ability to give and get attention can establish an important emotional connection with listeners and supporters [6].

Shaping the discussion, another key component of quality leadership, is more than just presenting a persuasive argument. Shaping and defining the discussion involves inspiring and motivating others by presenting a course of action that is both credible and focused. Leaders who are most effective at shaping and presenting often develop a ‘presence’ which is compelling to follow [9].

We often associate leadership with the ability to make a decision and stick to a course of action. But timing itself may be the key to making decisions work. Among key leadership traits, (including focus, authenticity, courage, and empathy) the single most critical trait may be a sense of timing; knowing when to make a decision. Getting the timing wrong can even nullify the power of all other leadership traits [1].

A crucible experience happens when a person experiences a defining and memorial moment in which they decide to take a leadership role. The crucible experience is often associated with a need for some form of real change. Sometimes this change may even require crisis conditions, because only then is the organization willing to provide the attention to leadership ideas that were previously considered odd or irrelevant [2].

Some people begin a leadership role based on a single vision or goal. In the article, Crucibles of Leadership [11] Bennis and Thomas present us with examples of people whose experience compelled them to display qualities of leadership.

Although Sidney Harmon developed personality traits of leadership in his youth, he did not take leadership action until he was focused on a crucible event in his factory. Prior to the event, he certainly wasn’t a visionary when it came to running his factory; it was in bad shape. The actual crisis leading to his crucible experience was not a large one, but it allowed him to gain the focus he needed to recognize a solution, implement it, and become a proponent of a new management technique.

Liz Altman used her crucible experience to learn to ignore cultural assumptions when making decisions, and was able to use the skill of unbiased evaluation in other facets of her career.

Crucible experiences can be very individualized. Muriel Siebert used her personal beliefs and ethnicity as a tool to help herself stay focused. Many people find focus in this way, turning their differences into a personal cause (“me vs. the world”) which helps them gain the needed strength to carry-on in the face of adversity.

Some crucible experiences provide a path to self-actualization and personal leadership. Sidney Rittenbery spent 16 years in a Chinese prison. But he learned to block out abstractions to keep his focus, and his sanity. His personal leadership skill allowed him to survive where others were unable.

Nathan Jones was first provided with leadership, but as a young man, he had the personality traits that allowed him to listen, learn, apply, and grow throughout his career and eventually rise to the top of his profession. Throughout his life he worked to develop personal and professional leadership skills. Like the others he displayed a high degree of adaptive capacity.

The crucible experience can be a catalyst for leadership action, but the force of that leadership and its success, is based on our life experiences and opportunities, coupled with key personality traits and habits, which shape our responses to those events.


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