‘A wizard is never late, nor is he early’

‘A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to’.

A bit of Gandalf arrogance – is that a good or indifferent example to those hairy footed hobbits❓

I’m currently carving a Gandalf head (Ian Mckellen version) and like my son, although I’m not as geeky as him, I am a fan of Lord of the Rings. So ever one for a tenuous link, I was thinking what leadership traits does Gandalf display, that are perhaps more positive than the top one❓

Here’s some thoughts:

1// The first thing, which appears unusual in this day and age, is a healthy disregard for power – he was tempted by the ring but turned it down. Oh how I wish some of our current, so called ‘leaders’, in whatever walk of life, were like that, instead of abusing their power and position.

2// He says, ‘All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us’. Her looks ahead to the future briefly but doesn’t dwell on it. That is celebrating what you can do and getting off your backside and doing it. A top lesson for us all.

3// I like how he mentors his team – he doesn’t tell them what to do but empowers, encourages and guides others to confront their fears and challenges. In doing that, it fosters confidence, problem solving and achievement. He asks, ‘What does your heart tell you’? ‘What do you think’? Powerful questions.

4// Like Gandalf I’m not always polite, but also like him, I’m also not afraid to get my hands dirty and do the doing. Not quite as extreme as him, I’ve never fought an orc for instance although you never know what the future might hold. I think being prepared to ‘go the hard yards’ yourself, is important.

5// Gandalf had impact. He inspired others. He knew his team and what he could say and do to have impact with them individually and as a group. He presented well and chose the best words or story for the right occasion, to grab those hearts and minds.

The more I reflected on these points the more I thought I do strive to be more like Gandalf – sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Not having a magic staff is a real hindrance.

What do you think? Do you recognise these leadership traits and are there more Gandalfisms worthy of note?

If nothing else do you think the carving is starting to look like Gandalf? More wrinkles to be inserted and that’s definitely a thing I have in common with him.