Leadership and Willpower

The importance of intense professional willpower

I was speaking to the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company and you could feel her sheer sense of will to accomplish things. Her passion and willpower came through clearly during the conversation. Jim Collins, researcher and author of books such as Good to Great, has a term for leaders such as this – Level 5 Leaders. In an HBR article, Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve, Collins states that such a leader is an individual, “who blends extreme personal humility with intense professional will. According to our five-year research study, executives who possess this paradoxical combination of traits are catalysts for the statistically rare event of transforming a good company into a great one.” The five levels of leadership according to Collins are: 1) highly capable individual 2) contributing team member 3) competent manager 4) effective leader and 5) level 5 executive. 

Level 5 leaders defy conventional expectations. They are a paradox in that they are humble yet determined and modest yet fearless. This potent blend fuels their ability to inspire unwavering dedication in their teams towards a shared vision. Their quiet confidence and strong convictions propel them to elevate organizations from good to great. These leaders prioritize meticulous team selection, building a foundation of talent. They then cultivate an environment of high expectations, pushing individuals and the organization to excel. This unique approach, backed by empirical evidence, sets them apart. Unlike Level 4 leaders who are often very charismatic and seek the spotlight, Level 5 leaders shun personal glory. Their focus is singularly on the organization's success. They guide their teams towards exceptional performance, driven by a vision that transcends individual egos.

At a previous company, we undertook a large migration of our operations from leased data centers to Google’s Cloud. For me the project was marked by numerous instances where leadership at various levels exhibited extraordinary determination to drive the project to completion, aka willpower. A memorable moment occurred in a team meeting when a manager highlighted a significant obstacle. The ensuing silence was broken by a suggestion from an unexpected quarter – a young engineer who proposed a workaround. Then she did something even more remarkable. She looked at that manager and said “and we’ll work around the next problem and the next problem and the one after that until we have completed the migration.” Her amazing display of leadership willpower, literally re-accelerated the project and helped us push it over the finish line.   

Willpower within leaders is often viewed in the lens of controlling their own behavior or restraining impulses. In research it is typically defined as something like, “a mental capability, and if leaders develop their ability to focus their time and energy management, and become more aware of their feelings, they may improve their willpower” found in the April 2014 Journal of Management Development. The other side of willpower that I’m interested in is more akin to what is found in research from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, where LCDR David Schappert defined it thus, “Willpower is defined as the amalgamation of continuing in the face of adversity; the refusal to accept failure; and the power to affect a desired outcome in others.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary provides two distinct definitions: 1) the ability to control one's own actions, emotions, or urges and 2) strong determination that allows one to do something difficult. We obviously are focused on the second definition. This trait goes by many other designations including persistence, willfulness, fortitude, grit, etc. 

While researchers are split between viewing willpower as a self-control trait or a behavior that strives to accomplish great tasks, in the latter camp it is widely believed that willpower is critical to success. Rose Anne Cuschieri wrote in Studies in Educational Administration that, “...many researchers strongly argue that willful leaders achieve more results and are perceived to be more determined in their thoughts and actions.” The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled the Roman Empire for 19 years, wrote over 1,800 years ago in Meditations, "The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." What he meant by this was that obstacles are a good thing because of the opportunities they make us stronger, wiser and, ultimately, have more willpower. 

A more modern author, Angela Duckworth, wrote in her 2016 book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, that “...as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.” The premise from her research is that "grit," a combination of passion and long-term perseverance, is the key differentiator between high achievers and those who fall short. While talent and charisma will certainly get you somewhere, ultimately it doesn’t make you a Level 5 leader or likely to make a massive impact on your sport, society, or industry. Your grit, willpower, determination are what is going to make that happen. 

You might not have heard of Soichiro Honda but you certainly know the eponymous firm that he founded, Honda Motor Company. Born into a modest family in Japan, Soichiro’s journey from a local repair shop to establishing one of the world's leading automotive companies is a testament to his indomitable spirit and willpower in the face of adversity. Before founding Honda Motor Co., Soichiro established the Tokai Seiki (Eastern Sea Precision Machine Company) during the late 1930s, which manufactured piston rings. The onset of World War II increased the demand for military equipment, and Tokai Seiki became a crucial supplier of piston rings for the Japanese navy and Toyota, which was then a major producer of military trucks. Tokai Seiki's facilities did not escape the ravages of war and were subjected to bombing raids, which severely damaged its infrastructure and capacity to operate. 

After Japan's surrender in 1945, the economic landscape was bleak, with many industries, including those involved in military production, facing an uncertain future. Recognizing the daunting challenges ahead and the shift in Japan's industrial focus, Soichiro Honda made the decisive move to sell Tokai Seiki's assets to Toyota. Despite these setbacks, Soichior established the Honda Technical Research Institute in 1946, focusing on developing motorized bicycles. This marked the beginning of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., which would become a global leader in the automotive and motorcycle industries. The adversity faced during the war years and the post-war economic environment shaped Honda's resilience and innovative spirit, laying the foundation for his future successes.

What if you don’t have a strong ability to push through things? The good news is that if you don’t think you currently have strong willpower, it can be developed. The anterior mid cingulate cortex (aMCC) is a part of our brains that is believed to activate when we force ourselves to do something undesired like exercise or resist a piece of chocolate cake. Your aMCC, or the part of your brain that controls your willpower, can grow throughout the lifespan by regularly doing things that are difficult or that you don’t want to do. Two groups of future leaders that often do the hard things they usually don’t want to do, like intense physical training, are college athletes and military personnel. Research has shown that college athletes earned 3.4% more over their careers and are more likely to hold MBAs from elite institutions than non-athletic students. A similar study by RAND has shown that veterans earn more over time than people who never served. Not that MBAs and earnings are the best measure of success as a leader in business but it might be a proxy or second order effect. 

History is replete with leaders who have displayed indomitable will in the face of adversity. I would argue, like Jim Collins, that this is what makes a truly great leader and separates the best from the good. I have seen the impact of willpower from leaders at all levels, from individual contributors to CEOs, to get difficult projects completed. As a leader, you owe it to yourself and your team to develop and display willpower. Start by training yourself. Do something you might not want to do but you know is good for you like exercising. Then go be the amazing Level 5 leader that your team, community, or company needs.