OTTAWA-Leadership is a human endeavour, rather than a technical or mechanical pursuit. That’s according to Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire, who addressed delegates at the 88th Annual PMAC National Conference in Ottawa. Dallaire gave the opening keynote address to delegates June 13, directly after the official opening of the conference.
Dallaire, an international champion of human rights and award-winning author and leader, rose to fame after leading the rescue of thousands of Rwandans during that country’s genocide, when Dallaire was serving as commander of a UN peace-keeping force. His best-selling book, Shake Hands with the Devil, is an account of his experience as the force commander of the UN assistance mission to Rwanda.
Among other stories, Dallaire recounted visiting a friend and CEO of a prominent Montreal-based company. The CEO routinely went on “walkabouts” among employees, Dallaire noted, in which he would speak with as many of the employees as possible in a short visit to the shop floor. When Dallaire accompanied him,the lieutenant-general broke from his friend briefly to speak at greater length with some of the workers (much to his friend’s distress). Later, Dallaire explained to his still-irritated friend the value of taking the time to speak in a more in-depth way with the workers. Doing so led to better understanding between a leader and those he or she leads, allowing the leader to be seen in a more human light.
That human connection also gets results on the battlefield, Dallaire said. On one occasion in Rwanda, several of his troops were killed-while others were seriously injured-trying to carry out a mission in which they were to make contact with extremist leaders. But the mission still needed to be completed. Rather than simply issuing the orders, Dallaire personally explained to those performing the mission how critical the mission was, its benefits, as well as the possibility it held for saving lives. The mission proved effective the second time.
True leadership, Dallaire noted, will always produce results well beyond what’s predicted as possible by the science of management.