Today, I spoke to Alan Deutschman, who writes for Fortune Magazine, GQ, Vanity Fair and New York Magazine, while being the author of the new book, Walk the Walk. In this interview, Alan tells us why most aspiring leaders don’t actually become leaders, gives us an example of a leader that walks the walk, authenticity, what seperates leaders and followers and more.
What do most aspiring leaders not have that keeps them from becoming leaders?
Most aspiring leaders fail for several reasons. The most common problem is that they don’t have the focus that they need. The leaders’ actions must always highlight the one or two things that are most important to the cause. I call this “The Rule of One or Two.” Aspiring leaders also fail because they lack empathy. Leaders need to understand and be sensitive to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the people they’re trying to lead. Too often, though, they’re elitists who become awfully disconnected from the rest of us.
Real leaders also need constancy because everyone is always watching to see how they walk the walk. They’ve got to be relentless, and many wannabee leaders aren’t up for it.
And finally, aspiring leaders are often doomed because they don’t have the sincere belief that their people can overcome obstacles and change dramatically. They often have a high opinion of themselves, of course, but they don’t trust their people to achieve great things.
Can you give an example of a leader that walks the 
walk (and talks the talk)?
Jeff Bezos has always said that Amazon.com puts the customer first—from early on, his vision was “to create the world’s most customer-centric company.” That’s how he talked the talk. Now a lot of CEOs say that they put the customer first, but Bezos was the rare one who actually did it again and again through decisions that hurt short-term profits. He allowed customers to post negative reviews of products that Amazon was trying to sell, which was a very controversial move at the time. He came out with offers for free or cheap shipping when he could have charged a lot more. By treating customers so well, he incited the ire of Wall Street stock analysts, who called for Amazon’s board of directors to remove Bezos from power. But Amazon attracted very loyal customers, and it has thrived even during the economic downturn because of how Bezos has walked the walk.
What happens when a leader doesn’t walk the walk? Do they lose authenticity?
If you’re talking about creating real change, very few people will believe what you say, at least in the beginning, whether you’re entirely authentic or completely phony. We’ve been lied to so many times by our supposed “leaders” in business and politics that we’ve become very cynical about what they say. But we watch what they do very closely. So walking the walk can help you gain trust. Don’t assume that you have it to begin with.
Do you believe anyone can be a leader? What separates leaders from followers?
Leaders strive to change the ways that other people think, feel, and act. Leadership is all about creating change. Anyone can be a leader if they embody new ways of thinking and acting and serve as a model for those around them. You don’t have to be a CEO to be a leader. If you rip out your front lawn and plant an organic vegetable garden as a small move towards reversing global warming and changing our food supply system, and you offer your fresh produce to curious neighbors when they wander by, then you’re a leader. 
What separates leaders from followers? Leaders have to go first and show what’s possible, and they have to do things that the rest of us can do, too. If I spend a fortune “greening” my house with the latest state-of-the-art technology, that’s no good if my neighbors can’t afford a similar retrofit. But they too can plant organic home gardens.
How did the Fast Company article you wrote “Change or Die” change your life and build your personal brand?
Before I wrote “Change or Die” I had spent most of two decades as a business journalist, but that article, and the book I wrote with the same title, helped turn me from a detached observer into an impassioned advocate. But I’m still a journalist, and I believe that the best way to interest people in provocative ideas is to report and tell a terrific, real story.
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Alan Deutschman is one of America’s most provocative thinkers about leadership and change. In his highly anticipated book, Walk the Walk: The #1 Rule for Real Leaders, he presents a compelling new theory of leadership. His pathbreaking earlier book, Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life, began as one of Fast Company magazine’s most talked-about cover stories. In a 22-year career as a journalist, Alan Deutschman has been Fortune magazine’s Silicon Valley correspondent, GQ’s “Profit Motive” columnist, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and New York Magazine. Most recently, he was a senior writer for Fast Company. He is also the author of The Second Coming of Steve Jobs and A Tale of Two Valleys: Wine, Wealth and the Battle for the Good Life in Napa and Sonoma. He has taught at General Electric’s Crotonville executive training center and delivered keynote addresses to leadership conferences for organizations such as National Public Radio.
