What is leadership?
Great leaders are creative, decisive, and charismatic. Strong leaders understand what is important to them. They are strong at persuading and communicating the vision they want others to have. Great leaders show personal mastery and passion for what they lead. They are creating team learning while keeping everyone moving towards a similar vision. Great leaders are systems thinkers. They understand the implications of their decisions and actions on the overall system they lead. Leadership is about creating and motivating the change that needs to happen.
Great leaders get results
Great leaders know how to manage their time. They continually develop their personal skills. Most importantly, great leaders know how to make others they lead feel important. Think of a leader you worked for who made you feel good. This is the effect that great leaders have on others. Great leaders think about the effect of the decisions they make. Great leaders are good at coaching, which tends to happen in private and shows great integrity. Great leaders are often also great communicators. People know where you stand with regard to performance and plans. Great leaders know how to celebrate team success and build great teams in the process as a result.
What are the different styles of leadership?
Different people react differently in leadership positions. Maybe you had a leader who was very fair and democratic. These types of leaders go the extra mile to ensure people are well-informed and part of the team. Sometimes this type of leader can even act as if he is in the service of others. Leaders like this one are focused on value. They let everyone know that what they believe in is more important, either through their behavior or what they say. Other types of leaders are more structural and task-focused. These leaders are focused on the task at hand. The way things are done is more important than the way people feel about how things are done. And, there are leaders who are authoritarian and perhaps political at times. The most important thing for these leaders is that they are in charge and their actions reflect how they will benefit the most. In my experience, people appreciate leaders who show interest in others, communicate well, listen to their employees, and are willing to make changes based on each person’s input.
Who are the great leaders?
There are many, and I have my favorites. I remember a meeting in the late 1990s with Jeff Bezos at his Amazon headquarters in Seattle. In those days, people were skeptical about how far you could take your little online bookstore. As we met and discussed some partnership ideas with his staff, Bezos had an opinion on everything, and was very good at explaining how all of his ideas related to the larger vision of Amazon. Jeff Bezos was a teacher and an extraordinary strategic thinker. Although his vision was great, he was also good at some small things and operated in a very methodical manner. Great leaders like Bezos aren’t afraid to make decisions, take action, and learn by making mistakes. I also believe that Mother Teresa was a great leader. She was a role model for doing what she loved. She never accepted limitations and never strayed from her mission to help the poorest people in India. This is what a great leader should do, clearly define what she wants to achieve and never deviate from the mission. Bill Gates, one of the founders of Microsoft, is also a great example of a leader. He combined vision, passion, and customer focus to make the IT industry what it is today. Great leaders have passion and it is channeled into worthy causes. Perhaps not so well known, Li Ka Shing is one of the richest people in Asia. He tells people that he never plans to retire and knows his priorities. He demonstrates great integrity in all of his business dealings. All of these are important elements of strong leadership. Finally, Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, combines a charismatic quality with vision and strong sales skills. Having a vision is important, but being able to sell the vision to others is just as important. These leaders are examples of great role models and provide specific examples that you can follow to become a great leader for others too!
What is the difference between leading and managing?
Leaders provide vision and inspiration as they help motivate others toward a common goal. Leaders focus on creating, facilitating the ideas and opinions of others. Strong leaders promote collaboration, not competition, among members of the same team. Above all, the leaders sell tickets for the trip! Management is different. The same people should aspire to be good at both, but this is often difficult. Managers need to focus on driving the bus. Strong managers need to focus on planning, organizing, and following through. To manage subordinates are required. One can lead without necessarily having subordinates. Sometimes they have a short-term vision and need to be results-oriented. Both leadership and management are necessary for organizational success.
How are leaders developed?
First, let’s look at three categories of leaders: those who do well as leaders; those, who do not; and those who want to be a leader one day.
Top-notch leaders already lead people and enjoy what they do. This group just wants to keep doing what they love. In many cases, great leaders have their skills and interests aligned. The work they do conforms to the image they have of themselves and their role at work. For the second set of leaders who aren’t doing well, the story may be different. It is possible that for this group they could be a mismatch of personal challenges and abilities. It’s also possible that these leaders are just working in a broken system, which is affecting their ability to do anything. Finally, this group may have poor role models. This group needs training, education, and perhaps a reassessment to find out what’s wrong. They may need a change with support! Leaders in the third group, whom I call emerging leaders, are not leading today, but they are motivated to take on more leadership responsibilities. These leaders need more opportunities, education, training, and some apprenticeship or transition time to new opportunities.
What to do to find new leaders?
Equipment inventory. Identify the right mix of skills needed. Identify strong leaders who have these skills aligned with your interests. Find out who wants to be a leader, as not all people are interested in leading others. Finally, create new organizational opportunities for new leaders.
Leadership is possible!
There are many models to become a great leader. It starts with the internal motivation to lead others, the knowledge to do so, and the opportunity.
Learning summary:
Decide if you want to be a leader of others. Then think about what you want to lead and why. Identify what new skills you need to acquire now to be successful. Take action to move toward more leadership opportunities.
craig nathanson