So I am sitting in a lounge in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago…Las Vegas, I discovered, is a fascinating town in which to do some serious people watching! Three single women come into the lounge (no this is not the beginning of a joke!) and sit down at a table. A short time later three single men enter the lounge and go directly to bar stools situated behind these three women.
Watching the subsequent dance that occurred between these two groups was fascinating and got me thinking about the age old debate – is leadership innate or learned…is it true that once a leader always a leader no matter what the situation? Within minutes it became very clear the identity of the ‘leader’ in the women’s group and the ‘leader’ in the men’s group. They definitely took the lead for their respective teams in the flirtation and jockeying for position that occurred throughout the next couple of hours. These ‘leaders’ established the game, created the playing field and broke the ice for their team mates giving them permission and encouragement to get in the game. After a short amount of time the identity of the ‘second in command’ on each team became apparent. The third member of each team appeared to be along for the ride, however willing participants in the game.
I would have loved to have joined the group to find out what these people did for a living and what types of roles they held at work. Were the ‘leaders’ actual leaders in their work places or was their current leadership role fueled by other conditions i.e. too much alcohol? Would their ‘team mates’ have stepped up to the plate without the encouragement of and confidence shown by their fearless leaders? How closely did the positioning of each team member match up with the way they naturally operate in other parts of their lives? How closely did this amusing dance mimic what actually happens within work teams?
I decided to have another martini and ponder this…..