We are in the season of leadership examination. Decisions made around cabinet posts, rulers of countries, board members, and the tops of pyramids will have implications for practically every person on the planet. The headlines shout of new rules, roles, and responsibilities for governance of all types and contexts. According to a 2023 McKinsey report, only 25% of global business leaders see their counterparts as inspirational and fit for purpose. What practical lessons might today’s leaders learn from this famous warrior-leader?

Crazy Horse was one of the Native American warriors who defeated Lieutenant Colonel George Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana in 1876. He was famous for his extreme bravery, quiet humility, and intense commitment. One Arapaho warrior, Water Man, who fought with Crazy Horse, characterized him as “the bravest man I ever saw.” Crazy Horse would ride close to Custer’s soldiers, encouraging his warriors as he shouted, “Hoya –hay. This is a good day to die!” “All the soldiers were shooting at him but he was never hit,” said Water Man. He was a warrior-leader unleashed!

The goal of all effective leaders is the pursuit of excellence. But it is more than the quest for the kind of achievement that resides at the far end of the yardstick. It is a strong expression of wholeness. Their infectious heartiness touches, influences, and gives courage to all around them. Crazy Horse did more than simply show off personal bravery; he unearthed like-minded daring in his fellow warriors.

Avoid Guilt And Encourage Confidence

A little-known story about Crazy Horse came from Chief Rain-in-the-Face from the

Hunkpapa tribe of the Sioux nation. In the book The Custer Myth by historian W. A. Graham, he reports that some Indian braves went into battle only after consuming drugs, alcohol, or both. Rain-in-the-Face claimed Crazy Horse never needed such help to be brave. He wanted to remain totally in the moment, high only on his pledge to prevail.

Warrior-leadership unleashed is a genuine expression honed from a strong sense of self. It comes from leaders who are their role, not merely act their role. It is unabashedly being who we genuinely are in front of others. Unshackled by a fear of rejection, warrior-leaders are released to go further, soar higher, and keep going longer. Author Simon Sinek wrote, “Great leaders don’t see themselves as great; they see themselves as human. They don’t try to be perfect; they try to be themselves.”

Memo to Leaders: Examine leadership practices that directly or subtly erode the self-esteem of your associates. Avoid using guilt as a tool for influence. Communicate a compelling purpose. Confidently show your feelings, not just your thoughts, to help create a climate of confidence and bravery. Encourage and affirm initiative. Remember the words of writer Tex Bender: “You can pretend to care, but you cannot pretend to be there.” Be fully present in your associates’ lives, not just a witness to their toil.

Model Honesty And Not Pretense

Crazy Horse was shy as a young man. Author John Neihardt described Crazy Horse in his book Black Elk Speaks as a person of great modesty and reserve but who was generous to the poor, elderly, and children. Newhart wrote, “Everybody liked him and would do anything he wanted or go anywhere he said.”

Warrior-leadership carries the trait of trustworthiness because it is borne of openness and vulnerability. Such leaders carry a personal vision of excellence, even when there is not yet a plan for success. They boldly take the initiative, not out of duty, but from a strong sense of purpose. “In today’s fast-paced business world,” wrote author Marie-Claire Ross in her book Trusted to Thrive, “the more trust you have across your organization, the faster you can operate.”

Memo to Leaders: Encourage associates to set high goals and objectives. Be an observable champion of associates’ demonstrations of their personal bests. Confidently reveal your mistakes; you will invite others to be open and trustworthy. Never tolerate mediocrity in yourself, in others, in anything, ever. Share stories of greatness and invite examples of excellence from others. Speak in possibilities, not in restrictions.

Foster a Climate That Is Inclusive, Not Exclusive

There is a back story to Crazy Horse’s battlefield gallantry. After a violent incident in his village, he ventured alone to seek spiritual guidance on how to cope with the incident. He had a dream in which a warrior came out of a lake and floated above him. The warrior told Crazy Horse that if he dressed modestly and never took scalps or war trophies, he would never be harmed in battle. Crazy Horse’s father, Waglula, interpreted the dream as a plea for compassion.

The story provides a metaphor to characterize a feature of warrior-leadership unleashed. As practitioners of empathy and compassion, associates are unbridled to become magnets for bringing out the best in others around them. They are people with an optimistic spirit of greatness others want to emulate. “When we’re looking for compassion,” said author Brene Brown in her viral TED talk, “We need someone who is deeply rooted, is able to bend and, most of all, embraces us for our strengths and struggles.”

Memo to Leaders: Be famous for your kindness and empathy. Never allow associates to use hurtful sarcasm or show disrespect to others, regardless of their intent. Pursue optimism. Let your unit become a haven for contrary views and a hangout for people with progressive attitudes. Be quick to celebrate moments of achievement and display sincere concern when associates are in pain. Listen to learn, not to correct or make a point. Be a forceful spirit for the remarkable.

Warrior-leadership unleashed comes from leaders who reframe their partnership with their performers to be their guide, not their shepherd; supporter, not commander, and an ardent champion of removing any hint of fear in the workplace. And it is as rare today as it is vital to organizational growth and success.

Writing for the website Truthdig.com, author Chris Hedges said about Crazy Horse: “There are few resistance figures in American history as noble as Crazy Horse. His ferocity of spirit remains a guiding light for all who seek lives of defiance.” Whether the defiance is against the “domestication” of Native Americans or the “dehumidification” of mediocrity, warrior-leadership unleashed is the personification of the Crazy Horse spirit.