Why leaders should embrace poetry

Leaders are crucial in combating workplace disillusionment and managing uncertainty.

Integrating poetry and literature into leadership development is a step toward equipping leaders to practice the art of leadership.

Published on LinkedIn

Barry Conchie and Sarah Dalton recently concluded, based on their experience in psychometric testing and leadership development, that our organisations are plagued by mediocre leadership. They argue that since 2014, it has been clear that managers lack the talent to perform their roles effectively.

In the 2023 DDI Global Leadership Report, fewer than half of the leaders surveyed find purpose in their roles. Purpose is notably lacking among middle managers, but less than two-thirds of executives report their jobs are meaningful and purposeful.

Additionally, survey findings show that ‘toxic leadership’, ‘toxic cultures’, and ‘quiet quitting’ are persistent, illustrating a growing disconnect between the workforce and their leaders.

Are leaders well-equipped to close this gap? What contribution do longstanding approaches to leadership development contribute to the problem?

Leadership development traditionally includes abundant advice on what organisational philosopher James March called the ‘plumbing’ of leadership—the capacity to effectively apply known techniques. However, reconnecting leaders and followers in a time of pervasive uncertainty and ambiguity may require more emphasis on the ‘art of leadership’.

Good leaders are readers (and writers)

The admired leaders of history who connected deeply with those they led during uncertain times drew inspiration and guidance from literature and poetry. Winston Churchill, a Nobel Prize-winning writer, often quoted Shakespeare and Kipling in his speeches. This same connection to literature and poetry is evident in the lives and achievements of Gandhi, Mandela, and Martin Luther King.

John F. Kennedy appreciated poetry and literature, frequently quoting Robert Frost. Kennedy invited Frost to his inauguration and observed:

‘When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment.’

While finding clear evidence is difficult, today's leaders seem to read and write less than previous generations.

We can point to the drop in literary reading and frequent attacks on the arts and humanities to support this assertion. The preponderance of ‘how-to’ books on leadership and the growth of celebrity leadership writing are notable trends.

There is a preference for executive summaries, briefings, and AI tools, which separate leaders from original texts and minimise opportunities for developing personal insights.

We observe a shift from long-form writing to shorter, social media-style communication. Additionally, writing has diminished as a vital skill in leadership communication and is often delegated to communications teams.

Good leadership is grounded in a commitment to personal and professional growth. This includes reading widely to gain knowledge, insights, and diverse perspectives. The ability to ask the right questions is a more critical leadership skill than hastily seeking solutions.

The narrowing of leadership development to the plumbing of leadership restricts leaders perspectives and diminishes leadership quality in our organisations. Without well-rounded leaders, our capacity to manage—or even influence—a future filled with significant complexity, uncertainty, and turbulence is considerably weakened.

Poetry provides leaders with a compass for humility

Robert Frost claimed that poetry is where ‘an emotion finds the thought and the thought finds the words.’ Poetry explores the contradictions in our experiences and serves as the language of thought and feeling. It deals with what cannot be proven, only experienced and felt.

If we accept that leadership problems are indistinguishable from life's problems, then poetry is essential for all leaders. The simple remedy is for all leadership development courses to include watching the movie Dead Poets Society.

‘Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.’

Poetry serves as a counterbalance, reminding leaders of their limitations. As poet and activist June Jordan concluded in a 1998 interview:

What’s important about poetry in the context of leadership is that most of the time, power has to do with dominance. But poetry is never about dominance. Poetry is powerful but it cannot even aspire to dominate anyone. It means making a connection. That’s what it means.

Poetry has much to say about leadership. Walt Whitman’s poem “O Captain! My Captain!" is central to the Dead Poets Society. It reflects on leaders responsibilities and sacrifices and the emotional bond between them and their followers.

Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If—' is often quoted and is most famous for the line ‘If you can keep your head when all about you / Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.’ It emphasises composure under pressure and calls for a balance between ambition and humility. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’ embodies the spirit of perseverance and relentless pursuit of goals—'To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.’ Percy Shelley’s ’Ozymandias’ reflects on pride and hubris in the face of time—'Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!’

However, seeking out poetry that speaks solely to leadership misses the point.

Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, and Nobel Laureate Louise Glück provide insights into thought, feeling, and experience that celebrate the richness of life and serve as an antidote to uncertainty and despair. The themes of nature and solitude, faith and doubt, renewal and mortality, acceptance, joy, and gratitude are central to our leadership experiences.

Are we investing in the right things?

The Australian leadership development program market is expected to grow from US$1.5 million in 2023 to US$3.6 million by 2033. Yet, despite this investment, doubts about leadership quality persist.

Recent leadership failings in Australia's public and private sectors add weight to the argument that continuing the same approach to leadership development is unlikely to improve leadership quality.

Leaders are crucial in combating workplace disillusionment and managing uncertainty. Integrating poetry and literature into leadership development is a step toward equipping leaders to practice the art of leadership.