Among the many sculptures and works of art in Washington D.C. is a piece titled "The Awakening," a large aluminum sculpture of a man either struggling to rise from, or being consumed by the Earth. Created by J. Seward Johnson Jr., the sculpture has drawn many visitors since it was first installed at Haines Point in 1980 as a temporary display. It has since been moved to a permanent location at the National Harbor. Not bad for a "temporary" work that doesn't depict someone on a horse.

What intrigues me about "The Awakening" are the many interpretations of its meaning, or what Johnson was trying to say. "Experts" are always ready to explain the artist's intentions and there are all sorts of explanations about what the work means. The best though is the explanation from the artist himself in an interview I read some years ago in the Washington Post. Simply stated, he said he didn't really have any particular meaning; he just liked the way it looked.

I see three lessons in "The Awakening" for leaders. First, it's a normal human tendency to assign our own interpretation to things we see or experience. If we all saw everything the same way, life would be pretty boring! That's a critical point for leaders to understand. It's also one of the basic ideas in accepting diversity in the workplace. I mean real diversity, not just accepting different race, sex, or nationality. Rather, leaders must understand that each person is just that; an individual person. Each interprets things in their own way based on their own experience, and quite frankly, the way their brain is wired. A smart leader takes advantage of that, even seeking out those different interpretations. There's another point here. While each individual is different, there is probably someone else, or a lot of someones, who see things the same way. So, when you fail to take into account the viewpoint of one person, you may be rejecting the view of many others who haven't spoken up, maybe a key customer or client!

The second lesson for leaders is that it is very easy to make things more complicated than they were ever meant to be. In my years of practical experience with strategic planning, I found that a relatively simple process was being made increasingly difficult by constant new interpretation of the basic concepts, creating new planning processes and new "must do" steps that made the idea of creating a strategic plan somewhat akin to pulling out fingernails. In the same way, the concept of leadership has taken on an incredibly complex life of its own with all sorts of interpretations, formulas, and complex models. While practicing leadership can be a difficult calling, the basic tenants are pretty straight forward: know where you're leading, follow your internal compass and values, and treat other people well.

The third lesson is simple. If a leader wants people to see what he or she sees, they will often be disappointed. But, the leader can help people understand what he or she sees. Many times its important for the leader to ensure the expected result. Be aware though that once something is clearly defined, the chance for individual interpretation is gone. How popular would "The Awakening" be if there was a sign that said

"This is 'The Awakening.' It is a sculpture by J. Seward Johnson Jr.
He created it because he thought it looked nice
and attaches no meaning."

Of course there are appropriate times for clear concise direction. But the skilled leader will also seek out and appreciate the interpretations of those who receive that direction.

Next time you get to Washington D.C. stop at the National Harbor and take a look at the awakening. Ask a few people standing there what it means to them. Do they agree? Probably not. Now apply that to your leadership.

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