It is that time of year when students get back into their classrooms and teachers resume their positions of prominent influence over students. Given our collective focus on “back to school,” I thought this would be good timing to discuss a leadership approach inspired by teachers.

Before I get into that, I’d like to share that teaching is a large part of my identity and upbringing. My grandmother was a teacher in public schools. My father was a teacher at our local state university and he directed the program for his field of study. My wife was a teacher in both public and private schools and now homeschools our four children.

Now, I’d like to make an observation about the leadership analogies we use in corporations. Here are the common ones I hear:

1. Salesperson. A leader trying to influence is often compared to a salesperson trying to sell a product. This is a legitimate comparison. I sell strategies, budgets, ideas, and priorities. I also sell my company as a great place to work to prospective employees. The better I sell, the more effective I am.
2. Coach. This analogy comes from the sports world. My employees (or team members) are the stars of the show. It’s my job as their leader to coach them effectively, so we can win as a team. The other team is the enemy and must be beaten. Is the other team the department down the hall or another competitor in the market? That depends on the company culture.
3. Negotiator. While we aren’t trying to free hostages, leaders often negotiate multilateral agreements among parties with a variety of interests and positions. Negotiating an agreement or deal takes a lot of skill and is a big part of the job.
4. Politician. While not usually a favorable comparison, leaders are often spokespersons, figureheads, and key communicators of high-level ideas. They are on a mission to win hearts and minds. They also arrange key alliances and partnerships to achieve goals.

I could go on, but you get the idea. My point isn’t what’s on the list. My point is what’s not on the list. I rarely hear any corporate leader talk about themselves or someone else as a teacher. In my opinion, that’s a miss.

The relationship between a teacher and a student closely resembles the leader-follower pattern. Teachers possess expertise, authority, and skill for conveying knowledge. Students expect to learn. They work under the direction of their teacher to achieve the desired outcome.

One thing I like about using a teacher-student analogy for corporate leadership is that it’s less adversarial. Teachers and students usually want the same thing. Normally, that’s the case in a healthy corporate culture. Injecting the win-lose language of sports, politics, sales, and warfare can be counterproductive within an organization.

An example: Selling or teaching your strategy

The language leaders use create expectations for their followers and certainly impacts the outcome.

You have a strategy. It’s of utmost importance that you convince others that your strategy is right for the company.

You could take a sales approach. You are the salesperson. Your audience is the buyer. You identify a problem. You position your strategy as the solution to the problem. You create a sense of urgency. You reinforce the benefits of your strategy and the dire impact of inaction.

Now, that very well may work just fine. It also may make your audience feel like they are in a timeshare presentation. They won’t like being put into a high-pressure position to “buy” your strategy.

Same situation, different approach:

You are the teacher. Your audience is the student body. You establish your credibility on the subject. You give historical background. You explain the nuances of the dynamics in the situation. You cite experts and provide analysis. You educate your audience on the merits of your strategy. You find ways to involve them and interact with the strategy so they retain their learning.

At the end of that interaction, your audience feels smarter. They support your strategy and feel like they understand it well.

What will you do?

Try it. Next time you go into a meeting, lead it off with a statement, like, “I’m here to teach you about this subject. By the end of our time together, I expect that you will understand it well.” I bet their ears will perk up. Everyone has been a student before. This language will set expectations and put them in a mindset to learn. Most importantly, if done well, it won’t be adversarial at all.

I believe many approaches can be successful. I believe each approach has a time and a place. I also believe that the teaching approach is underutilized. It’s so underutilized, that if you use it, you may catch your audience by surprise, in a good way.

A leadership role in a large corporation is a tough job. Would you rather spend your time leading in a war zone or a classroom? The language you use will set the tone.

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