I’m certain that being a ‘talking head thought leader’ has little to do with real leadership.

Fox News commentator Glenn Beck can unequivocally assert that President Obama “has a deep-seated hatred for white people”, and then equivocate in stating that he doesn’t actually think that Mr. Obama “doesn’t like white people.” Even if we dismiss the thoughts Mr. Beck is leading us toward, we can admit that the talking head commentators are entertaining. But they are not accountable for results beyond ratings, or to relationships outside their own inner circle.

I’m equally certain that you and I would corrode employee engagement and drive away talent if we led with Glenn Beck’s loose lips and mental laxity.

I’m also certain that there’s a lesson for leaders as we observe both conservative and progressive thought leaders. It’s a case study in the role of certainty in leadership work. How should we lead with certainty?

For leaders, certainty has three facets:

1) Certainty is about what you know and believe.

Rev. Al Sharpton and Rush Limbaugh advocate with crystalline clarity for what they know and believe to be true. We, too, should lead from absolute clarity about our values, our expertise, and our expectations for our direct reports. Such a leadership point of view motivates others to follow our authentic leadership.

2) Certainty is about the degree of confidence you apply to what you know and believe.

Sarah Palin and Nancy Pelosi speak from opposing beliefs, but they both show a deep confidence in their respective paradigms. They share a deep certitude. We, too, should forthrightly express our certitude of belief as we lead others. This is about leading confidently from the inside out.

3) Certainty is about the way you bring what you know and believe to your
relationships of influence.

Here’s where the case study turns rich. Beck, Sharpton, Limbaugh and Palin (for now) are thought leaders, so they can spout their certainties without accountability for outcomes beyond talk.

But Speaker Pelosi, like you, holds a real leadership job.
• She must manage her beliefs and knowledge to achieve results through working with people (a simple definition of the leader’s work).
• Like you, she must calibrate when to push with certainty, and when to pull others to contribute from their knowledge and beliefs.
• Like you, she is accountable for building and maintaining relationships, so she can stay in the game and have the chance to lead again tomorrow. This requires mutual respect, straight talk that honors those with conflicting opinions, and being open to the influence of others. This is especially intriguing for Ms. Pelosi, as social expectations are narrower for the way women lead with certainty.
• And like you, Speaker Pelosi’s performance will be evaluated by the results she delivers.

How do you lead with certainty? How does the strength of your certitude animate your leadership? How do you leave room for the certainties of your colleagues, customers and constituents?

I’m certain of one more thing: when those of us who are white men lead with effective certainty, it will be easier for our diverse colleagues to follow us. And to lead us from their own certainty.