Posted on Apr 17, 2013

The Value of Dynamism in Leadership

The value of dynamism means great energy, drive, force, or power; active strength of body or mind; pizzazz.

Leadership Questions:

Who do you know that possess pizzazz? Are they using it to help others?
Do others feel your energy and drive are being applied for their benefit, or yours?
When is the last time you used your strength of mind or body to help someone else, where you derived no personal benefit?
What would happen if you combined duty with dynamism?

The Dynamic Duo

I grew up watching Batman and Robin on TV. Actor Adam West played Batman and Burt Ward was Robin. They were known as the Dynamic Duo. There seemed to be no problem they couldn’t resolve.

Of course Batman possessed all the pizzazz. Robin was just his sidekick. But unlike most superheroes, they did not possess any superpowers. Instead, Bruce Wayne (Batman’s secret identity) made use of his intellect, detective skills, technology, physical strength, and his tremendous will power to fight crime.

Batman is a perfect example of a strong leader displaying the value of dynamism. Except he isn’t real. And neither are our expectations for leaders to be like Batman – or Robin.

However, there are respected leaders who possess tremendous energy and drive and apply it to worthwhile endeavors. There are ordinary men and women who aptly apply their strength of mind and/or body to advance specific causes, resolve conflicts, and lead us forward to a better future. There are even powerful people with real pizzazz who know how to use their gifts for the benefit of others.

The following are just a few of the role models we have amongst us today, who are displaying dynamism in their leadership every day:

A rescue worker who rushes in to help others during a disaster.
A negotiator who sticks to the process and resolves a tense conflict.
A solider who willingly goes into harms way.
A teacher who refuses to give up on a student until they grasp a new concept.
An entrepreneur who keeps trying until the business succeeds.
An 8-year child battling cancer.
The parent of the child battling cancer.

But here’s the thing. For every leader who demonstrates dynamism, they are more effective if they have a sidekick, like Robin. That’s where you can help.