The Inspirational Leadership of Bono

Introduction

Bono, born Paul David Hewson on May 10, 1960, is the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2. Bono was born to parents Bob and Iris Hewson, and raised in a middle class neighborhood in Dublin, Ireland. When Bono was only 14 years old, his mother passed away suddenly. This loss of his mother was devastating and it moved Bono to turn to music and Christianity as a source

Bono has gained access to a very public stage over the course of the past 30 years. Early in his career, however, he made the decision that this stage would serve as platform to do good and provide him an opportunity to impact the world. Throughout his life, it has been Bono's leadership and ethics that have put him in a position to effect significant global change and influence worldwide participation in humanitarian activism.

Bono’s Leadership

Bono has established himself as a leader in both the context of his band, U2, as well as in the worldwide arena of humanitarian efforts. Utilizing an academic definition of leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal,”[i] Bono clearly exhibits strong leadership in each of these aspects. The process of mutual influence between the leader and followers is evident in Bono’s interaction with his fellow band members, fans, and even his family. While the common goals may differ among these groups, Bono’s ability to inspire and effect direction in the people around him is consistently manifested in his life and decisions.

As the lead singer of U2, his function can easily be inferred as an assigned position. Since a title does not always guarantee influence. He is considered the most influential person in the band and clearly gained the respect of the other members. They have been consistent in their support of his leadership.

Bono’s influence over his fans is directly evident in their participation in the various humanitarian efforts initiated by U2. The band has always strived to draw the attention of their fans to organizations with missions of effecting positive change in the world including: Amnesty International, Greenpeace, DATA, ONE, (RED), and the Chernobyl Children’s Project.[ii] In addition to repeatedly sold out concerts, a great example of the response of U2 fans can be specifically seen in their support of the “Build a Well for Bono's Birthday” fundraisers. Beginning in 2002, the project has raised over $170,000 to help provide sanitized water to more than 28,000 people in Africa.[iii]

Bono is married to Alison Hewson (née Stewart), and they have r four children. Married since 1982, Alison attributes the success of their relationship to their ability to communicate, respect one another, and persevere.[iv] In the band’s autobiography U2 by U2, Bono acknowledges the conflict between the life of a rock star and that of a family man. He ultimately concludes that an overriding sense of loyalty has allowed him to find the balance necessary to lead both his band and his family.[v] Respect, perseverance and loyalty are qualities that can be directly related to Bono’s ethical standards, which will be expanded upon in subsequent sections.

Bono and the World

On a broader scale, Bono has also assumed a leadership role in influencing fans, politicians, and the general population. The manner in which Bono effectively conveys and inspires support of the initiatives he undertakes is highly transformational in that it “moves followers to accomplish more than what is usually expected of them”.[vi] In the autobiography, U2 by U2, Bono observes the unique energy of his audience and how it seemed to reach beyond the typical emotionality often associated with political movements to a level of enthusiasm that was participative.[vii] U2 fans are genuine in their desire to join the band’s initiative to change the world.

An important aspect of transformational leadership is the individual’s charisma. Bono’s charm as a rock star celebrity has been instrumental in his ability to connect with people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, such a Senator Jesse Helms, a highly conservative North Carolina politician. Senator Helms was initially skeptical of meeting with Bono to discuss aid to Africa, however almost immediately recognized his sincerity and agreed to assist him in the efforts to fight AIDS in Africa.[viii] Interestingly however, Bono’s success does not depend solely on his charisma. Applying previously referenced trait theory, his intelligence and knowledge of current issues are a driving force behind his charm. Senator Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania summarizes it well in his statement that: "If you really want to be effective, you have to bring something to the table beyond just charisma. The important thing is, Bono understands his issues better than 99% of members of Congress."[ix]

Ultimately, transformational leadership is distinguished by the connection forged between the leader and the followers that “raises the level of motivation and morality.”[x] The House Model outlines five key components of a transformational leader: role modeling, competency, articulation of ideological goals, communication of high expectations of followers, and arousal of task-relevant motives.[xi] Bono fulfills these in that he is a role model for his fans to take issues seriously and he is consistent in his communication of that expectation. As a band, U2 has been consistently recognized as “a serious, spiritual, introspective band who tackle(s) weighty issues with verve and grace.” [xii] The One Campaign, an anti-poverty and preventable disease advocacy organization,[xiii] is an example of a project conceived by Bono that provides his followers with a platform through which they can participate. The organization’s goals are well-defined and it maintains regular communication with its supporters, providing them with specific steps (i.e. contacting Congressmen) that they can take to facilitate achieving the goals.

Bono’s Decision Making and Ethical Framework

A significant aspect of Bono’s leadership lies in his sense of his own moral values and the ethics which motive his decisions. He has arguably worked harder to help those in Less Developed Countries than any other celebrity and is unique in that the example that he sets is not one of just a “feel good humanitarian.”[xiv] It is essential to question the source of Bono’s passion for the world’s sick and poor in order to understand the ethical framework that has guided his decision making and distinguished him from so many other celebrities.

One of the first important ethical decisions that Bono made was early in his career. U2 was just becoming popular and the touring took him away from home frequently.[xv]There were material temptations and even Bono’s wife worried about losing him to a supermodel.[xvi] Bono had been raised in a religious household and he had maintained his Christian beliefs into adulthood. Bono wondered how to balance his desire to be a good Christian with a competing desire to be a successful musician. He had several commitments to consider – the commitment to the band, to his wife, to his label, and to God. It was seemingly very challenging to honor all of the commitments. Therefore, Bono made the difficult decision to take a short break from U2. He later said:

“Giving up the band was very hard to do, because we…loved what we were doing. But something very powerful happened there. Sometimes you have to let go of what you love to really have it. Without being too melodramatic, it’s like Abraham waits all his life for a son, and then God tells him to go down and

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[i] Northouse, P. G. (2010) Leadership: Theory and Practice. London: SAGE, 3.
[ii] “U2: Hearts and Minds,”. http://www.u2.com/heartsandminds/,(accessed 12/03/10).
[iii] “PR Web: African Well Fund Celebrating Bono's 50th Birthday With Zimbabwe Well Fundraiser,” http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/05/prweb3980534.htm, (accessed 12/03/10).
[iv] Liz Jones, “Sit Back and Relax? Bono’s Wife Can’t,” This is London, March 2, 2005, accessed at http://www.atu2.com/news/sit-back-and-relax-bonos-wife-cant.html (11/30/10).
[v] Bono quoted in U2 by U2, p. 225.
[vi] Northouse, 171.
[vii] Bono quoted in U2 by U2, p. 169.
[viii] Jesse Helms, “Bono,” TIME, April 30, 2006, accessed at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187308,00.html (12/01/10).
[ix] Josh Tyrangiel, “The Constant Charmer,” TIME, December 19, 2005, accessed at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1142270,00.html, ( 12/01/10).
[x] Northouse, 172.
[xi] Northouse, 174-175.
[xii] Koehn, Miller, and Wilcox, 23.
[xiii] “About ONE,” http://www.one.org/us/about/ (accessed 12/07/10).
[xiv] Cooper, A. F. (2008) Global Insights, Beyond One Image Fits All: Bono and the Complexity of Celebrity Diplomacy, 271
[xv] Koehn, Miller, and Wilcox, 16.
[xvi] Koehn, Miller, and Wilcox, 24.