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Being the Leader and Being a Leader = Two Different Things
Org charts. Funny how, at one time, they used to not only show the
proper chains of command, but they used to also be a reliable source of exactly
who ran the show in a company. While it may demonstrate who has final word on
decisions, it may not always reflect where to find the leader.
This past year, I attended a Leadership conference called “Simply
Lead”—a telecast from Atlanta to over 750 sites nationwide and over 120,000 in
attendance. The speakers were everyone from Condoleeza Rice and Coach K to Dr.
John Maxwell and Jack Welch. In other words, these were people who have proven
their rank in leadership and provided the audience with kernels of knowledge
that both inspired and enlightened. Like I was back in school again, I took
notes on everything and found myself taking stock of my position, not only as
an employee, but where I might be able to become a leader in my own right.
Alternatively, I also learned that it was okay to have the confidence to
challenge ineffective management styles when armed with a mix of diligent
persistence and collaborative team support. It was Dr. John Maxwell who said,
“A leadership position does not make you a leader…leadership is influence,
nothing more nothing less.” So how do you influence
exactly? Here are the top 5 tidbits I learned about qualities of leadership:
1. Every leader and every person under you should be able to
answer the following: What are we doing? Why are we doing it? Where do I fit
in? Without clarity, you can’t have growth. “You have no right to be a manager
if your people do not know where they stand.” – Jack Welch
2. “If everything is important, then nothing is important.” – Dr.
Henry Cloud. It is crucial to know how to make necessary endings. Put it this
way, even a rose bush has to be pruned to make sure that the dead buds do not
deplete the resources needed to keep the best roses blooming.
3. Lead simply: add value to people every day (intentionally),
subtract your leadership landmines (like trying to make everyone happy),
multiply your strengths by developing them, and divide your weaknesses by
delegating them
4. Leaders need to give their team self-confidence, simplicity and
speed. Get your team to understand the behaviors you want. This leads to
self-confidence, which leads to simplicity that then leads to speed
5. You have to tell members of your team, “You’ve got to love to
be here, but be ready to leave.” In other words, you want your people to want
to stay and not be afraid to leave (or know that they will leave if they are
not a team player to the standards of a company’s culture of success).
Whether you are a company, big or small, and an employee low or
high on the totem pole, leadership is an action, not a title. May this inspire
you to be your own leader!
Labels: influence, leadership, Saratech