“If you’re a good leader, you don’t have to mention you did it and you’re not looking for credit,” said Mayor Casey Tanaka.
When I first walked into City Hall, Mayor Tanaka walked out to greet me. He was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, khakis, and flip-flops. Immediately I was put at ease and felt as though I could speak freely with him: he seemed approachable and comfortable being who he is.
Leadership is more than just a title or a position. In fact, at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), leadership is defined as a social ongoing process that involves multiple individuals in teams. Further more, each individual is a leader in their own right, and has a style and brand: traits they are known for and how they are perceived. This leadership identity, both created and perceived, shapes a leader’s style.
Upon first meeting Mayor Tanaka, my perception of him was clear: approachable and an equal among citizens. During my interview with him, my perception was further validated. He described his path to becoming a Mayor: As a teacher at Coronado High School, he developed a lot of relationships with the kids AND their parents. He said, “I really felt like the community knew me and I had their trust.” I got a sense that being involved in the Coronado community and caring about others are two traits that Mayor Tanaka values in leaders.
Collaboration is a key element to running a city and Mayor Tanaka is extremely aware of this. As mentioned before, each individual, and in this case each City Council Member, has their own personal leadership style. Understanding this, Mayor Tanaka chooses a leadership style that emphasizes “vision, and context to help the process to make decisions.”
To capture what was shared in these videos, one can describe Mayor Tanaka’s leadership style as ‘a leader who is humble and approachable, is clear about his vision, and is honest about issues.’
Akshay facilitates workshops on leadership, communication, and teamwork for adults and children with Ziksana Consulting. Read his Behavior Blotter for more on his work and his observations. If you have any ideas for stories, please contact Akshay at [email protected]
