Which are you?

Pareto is remembered for his work on this and of course understandably; it is a very important analysis tool for every business (and can be used to great effect for personal effectiveness as well). However, I wanted to use today’s blog about another piece of work that Pareto co-authored. This piece was to do with political elites (and led to him falling foul of Mussolini).

Pareto developed a theory that basically stated that power oscillated between two types of leaders (or elites to be more accurate). These two types were labeled lions and foxes. The theory basically stated that leaders have characteristics that make them either behave like a lion or a fox.

It is interesting when you look at the past prime ministers of the UK going back to Harold Wilson – they seem to have held a steady pattern – of a lion being replaced by a fox (it is interesting that every lion has been replaced by a fox – without there being a general election!). The pattern also seems to holds true for US presidents. It is as if the population as a whole seems to choose different characteristics for different times – or they simply want a change.

Many people have argued that the theory of lions and foxes is too simplistic. In terms of the analysis I have done on US presidents, my fox maybe someone else’s lion. And then there is bias; is it really better to be a lion than a fox? They both end up occupying power and it is not a judgment on morality or effectiveness. It is just about the skills they use to get to power and how they may stay in power.

When I think about company leadership, it tends to follow the same pattern. Lions and foxes tend to alternate and they bring different skill sets and different priorities that can help company get through the phase they are in. Lions can be a bit too focused on themselves and the constant evangelical tone can get a tad tiring. Whereas working for foxes can be no fun at all – and you sometimes feel that you are lost in a soulless bureaucracy.

Have a think though about what trait you think comes closer to describing you. You will always be better of replacing someone who is different to your own trait – and equally, if you are a founder of an organization, you would be better served promoting someone to succeed you who is different to you. When you replace someone who is similar to you, you are likely to get clash of the egos.

It also will help the business if different skill sets come to the top of the organization and help it grow. If you are working for a lion or a fox, and they are the same as you – move to another organization!

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