The phrase “We have met the enemy, and they are ours” originates from a bit of military bravado during the War of 1812. Supposedly, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry said this to General William Henry Harrison after the Battle of Lake Erie.

Cartoonist Walt Kelly adopted the phrase for his comic strip Pogo. In a parody of the famous battle report, Kelly changed it to: “We have met the enemy, and he is us,” highlighting the tendency of humanity to create its own problems.

I’d adopt and adapt that euphemism to describe what I believe is lacking in leadership. 

As I’ve noted before, most employees in the workplace are looking for other jobs. Moreover, most of them don’t like their bosses, and they’re seeking remedies. Given the proportion of employees who recognize these issues, could it possibly be those in charge miss the point? Or are they simply not aware. Have we met the enemy, and they are us?

In my opinion, business school prepare leaders to be financial whizzes. They do little to prepare people to actually lead. Many of these schools don’t have the foggiest idea of the powerful benefits of servant leadership.

There are exceptions, of course. In Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa University and CMU Tech offer several courses on servant leadership. Some taught by yours truly.

More generally, people who are promoted into positions of authority are deemed those with the best technical proficiency. Once elevated into leadership roles, these poor people are mostly left to their own devices. Faking it here ain’t making it. Or so an old leadership coach of mine once said.

People need training. More importantly, people should be selected on the basis of specific emotional intelligence criteria. Scrap technical skills in favor of the behavioral skills most employees crave. Emotional intelligence can be taught. Desire is required.

Are you the type of leader who assumes hiring the best technical person will solve your employee wants and desires? If so, a closer look in the mirror is required.

Focusing efforts and energies on developing leaders who can develop leaders constitutes the single best strategic advantage any organization can adopt.

John C. Maxwell, the author and speaker who focuses on leadership, but it this way: “The effectiveness of your work will never rise above your ability to lead and influence others. You cannot produce consistently on a level higher than your leadership. In other words, your leadership skills determine the level of your success — and the success of those who work around you.”

Maxwell developed a concept he termed the law of the lid. It states that leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness and potential influence. Imagine a lid on a container. The higher the leadership ability, the higher the lid, allowing for greater potential. Conversely, if leadership ability is low, the lid limits effectiveness.
If your leadership rates an eight on a scale of one to 10, your effectiveness can never be greater than a seven.

The McDonald brothers, the founders of what later became the McDonald’s restaurant chain, exemplify this. Their genius was in customer service and kitchen organization, but weak leadership limited their success.

Remember, your leadership capacity directly affects the potential of your organization.