Iowa's Message for Business Leaders

Whatever happens in the rest of the presidential primary states, Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama's Iowa caucus wins, unfathomable a few months ago, draw lessons in leadership for businesspeople who want to move their flock. Regardless your politics, the message out of Iowa for leaders is:

* authenticity, even the perception of authenticity, trumps safe, scripted rhetoric
* a message of hope smothers negativism
* speaking to the heart tops speaking to the head

Look at yourself. How are you perceived inside your organization? It matters. You need to know, even though it's difficult and often painful to accept the light others see you in. It's especially true when it comes to seeing how you're perceived by those who report to you. Yet it's absolutely necessary to understand their perceptions. Try to understand what breaks through and where the connections are severed. That's how you lead the charge to surprise victories, whether one-on-one or speaking to an entire team, whether politician, pastor or entrepreneur.

To be sure, your communication and leadership benefit immensely if your message dovetails with the zeitgeist, or the spirit of the times. Obama, for instance, is in part lucky and smart enough to catch lightening in a bottle. Americans, a critical mass of which think the country's headed in the wrong direction, want change.

Even though the Clintons are old experienced hands known for comebacks, they also represent yesterday whereas Obama represents the hopes of tomorrow. A slumbering youth vote that was a no-show for baby-boomer John Kerry has awakened to the dreams of Obama, 46, a multicultural, charismatic candidate that inspired them to show up big in Iowa. Know your audience and tap into their passions and you too will surprise a few people.