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Making of Great LeadersIntroduction When I think of a "Term" leader, I think about Martin Luther King, Napoleon, Abram Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela etc, but then even George Bush, Osama bin Ladin, Saddam Hussein, Gen. Mushraf, and even over own to list a few Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav are also leader, so what is a difference between great and not so great leaders. ASK any motivational guru and they'll promptly tell you the bald facts of leadership: leadership is not for wimps. It takes strength of character, diplomatic skills and a set of steadfast principles to amount to good leadership. Anyone who is a leader - a team leader, a business leader, a political leader - will inevitably face the same task, that of exercising leadership in the face of adversity with a cool, calm smile. The hallmarks of a great leader lie in the ability of the person in charge to bring certain key factors across to his workforce or teammates. In other words, a leader has got to be charismatic enough to infect his workforce with the will and motivation to get the task done. The primary key in achieving this revolves around the notion of "vision". Leadership vs. Management You all will agree with me that managers are not leaders. All leaders can be good managers but not all managers can be good leaders. So, What is the difference between management and leadership? It is a question that has been asked more than once and also answered in different ways. The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them, and this sets the tone for most other aspects of what they do. Many people, by the way, are both. They have management jobs, but they realize that you cannot buy hearts, especially to follow them down a difficult path, and so act as leaders too. Managers have subordinates By definition, managers have subordinates - unless their title is honorary and given as a mark of seniority, in which case the title is a misnomer and their power over others is other than formal authority. Authoritarian, transactional style Managers have a position of authority vested in them by the company, and their subordinates work for them and largely do as they are told. Management style is transactional, in that the manager tells the subordinate what to do, and the subordinate does this not because they are a blind robot, but because they have been promised a reward (at minimum their salary) for doing so. Work focus Managers are paid to get things done (they are subordinates too), often within tight constraints of time and money. They thus naturally pass on this work focus to their subordinates. Seek comfort An interesting research finding about managers is that they tend to come from stable home backgrounds and led relatively normal and comfortable lives. This leads them to be relatively risk-averse and they will seek to avoid conflict where possible. In terms of people, they generally like to run a 'happy ship'. Leaders have followers Leaders do not have subordinates - at least not when they are leading. Many organisational leaders do have subordinates, but only because they are also managers. But when they want to lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers, and following is always a voluntary activity. Charismatic, transformational style Telling people what to do does not inspire them to follow you. You have to appeal to them, showing how following them will lead to their hearts' desire. They must want to follow you enough to stop what they are doing and perhaps walk into danger and situations that they would not normally consider risking. People focus Although many leaders have a charismatic style to some extent, this does not require a loud personality. They are always good with people, and quiet styles that give credit to others (and takes blame on themselves) are very effective at creating the loyalty that great leaders engender. Although leaders are good with people, this does not mean they are friendly with them. In order to keep the mystique of leadership, they often retain a degree of separation and aloofness. This does not mean that leaders do not pay attention to tasks - in fact they are often very achievement-focused. What they do realize, however, is the importance of enthusing others to work towards their vision. Seek risk In the same study that showed managers as risk-averse, leaders appeared as risk seeking, although they are not blind thrill-seekers. When pursuing their vision, they consider it natural to encounter problems and hurdles that must be overcome along the way. They are thus comfortable with risk and will see routes that others avoid as potential opportunities for advantage and will happily break rules in order to get things done. A surprising number of these leaders had some form of handicap in their lives, which they had to overcome. Some had traumatic childhoods, some had problems such as dyslexia, others were shorter than average. Qualities of Great Leaders If you want to be really effective in strategic leadership you must grasp a variety of unique behaviors. These are day-to-day characteristics you must grasp to stay ahead of the leader pack. Rich leadership occurs when we master a multitude of qualities that support you and your team. 1) Objectivity Objectivity is a must if we want to be effective. We must know what is subjective versus objective. We can't be so turned inward that we stifle our colleagues and team members. As a leader it is imperative that we treat everyone with an open and objective mind. We have no right to hinder another's growth by our pre-conceived and subjective beliefs about what is right for everyone. Objectivity requires that we move past our biases, prejudices, values, and preferences to let others be. We can set a standard but we don't have to be rigid, inflexible, and fixated on only one way for individual nurse team members to perform. If the end result works, doesn't offend, brings no complaints, has an acceptable outcome and meets the overall standard...that should be enough. An objective leader has an outcome in mind, shares it, sets parameters and limitations and allows each person to excel in their own way toward that standard or outcome. How objective are you as a manager? What grade do you think you merit in this realm? Do you help or hinder people by you objectivity or lack thereof? Let me recommend that you let your objectivity shine and open the way for individual excellence, growth, and selectivity. This, though, brings me to another necessary trait of phenomenal leaders - emotional stability. 2) Emotional Stability How do you define emotional stability in the leader? I believe the emotionally stable supervisor is at ease with him or herself. The leader's stability is grounded in a positive sense of his or her own selfhood. The stable leader doesn't carry a chip on his or her shoulders, is not defensive, paranoid, manipulative, angry, passive aggressive or mean spirited. He or she instead is fully confident in his or her strengths. The stable leader is known for his or her maturity. That maturity is seen in the ability to let staff excel, question felt areas of pressure, is open to other's ideas, trusts his/her team, peers and colleagues, and allows others to grow, mature, challenge, take the lead, and learn more and more. If you are mature, you won't be concerned with pettiness, trivia, and issues that don't really matter. You will be about being your best, asserting your strengths and growing your team. Emotional stability will aid you in focusing outside of any petty tendencies, defensiveness or growth hindering behavior toward those in your work, home or community environment. So...let your leadership show in emotional maturity each and every time, in all ways consistently. Keep in mind, however, that it is imperative in the emotionally mature leader to be grounded in the knowledge of human relations. 3) Kowledge of Human Relations To be truly effective when leading any group, you and I must have a strong knowledge of human relations. We have to be hip to people from many circumstances, backgrounds, walks of life and perspectives. Human nature varies. Cultures differ even in the same neighborhood or region. Never doubt that. If you want to stay out of trouble, keep your mind and your eyes wide open. Listen first, in other words to get the lay of the land. Give yourself time to get to know all of the people in your work, community and home space - or any place you lead. Trust individuals you work with until they show you otherwise. Never accept rumors or innuendo about people. Monitor the situation first to understand it - always. Never jump to any conclusion. Get input from both sides. Think long and hard if time allows letting the human in you focus on the whole picture. Never go off half cocked -short of knowledge and headed for disaster.
4) Energy Yes, energy is a cornerstone for leader effectiveness. Conserve it. Find it. Maximize it. Sustain it. How can you find energy on a day-to-day basis? Take care of yourself daily. Get enough rest. Exercise, eat right. Keep your cool. Search out your daily spirit builders. Keep stress down. Don't fight - encourage, support, collaborate, and cooperate. Look for resources to use to conserve your energy and resources. Let others do. Delegate then delegates some more. Train others up to excel to higher tasks and functioning. Accept offers for help. Ask for help. Find yourself some problem solving buddies. Say "no" often. Move past negativism, pessimism and "I can't". Don't trample your emotion. Choose carefully the fights you want yourself to get involved in. Seek the blessings available to you. Get away. Find solitude. Rest. Be still. Ask knock and seek to come up with the best solutions. Don't let life, work or play get you down. Know where you and your team are headed. Don't get sidetracked. Know always the lay of the land and the people you are working with. Don't let individuals drain your spirit or take away the zest you have for living. Remember, that can only happen if you let it. So don't...Always remember you can lead best when you maintain and sustain your energy.
5) Empathy Every leader must be able to bring up empathy as needed to help out people on short notice, as the role requires. When you empathize it means that you try to move over into the other person's shoes. You try hard to see where he or she is coming from. You try to be supportive, available and helpful as needed in legitimate situations. Our team comes with a variety of attitudes, problems, and circumstances. Many homes of these individuals are flawed and dysfunctional. You must put this in perspective and you must aid the worker in doing the same. Never stereotype anyone. Do get to know each and every person for who and what they are in the various realms of their lives. Don't assume. Validate everything. For example, don't assume that a person in a minimum wage job is money-less. This could be a big mistake. Never think less of a person until you have explored his or her best. Ask questions. Try to get to where the person wants you to be. This can be done readily if we consistently listen well. Empathize from a place of knowledge. Let no non-verbal clue woe you into a false sense of security. What you see may not be what you are getting.
Next let me suggest that you do what it takes to stay personally motivated. 6) Personal Motivation Leading requires strong personal motivation. It is energy depleting, tough often, and full of land mines. Mines kill and can draw away motivation if you and I are not careful. So as you lead, be sure your leading motivates. How can you and I do that? Try doing it in the way you love it. In other words, does no leadership except as you enjoy it? Don't play games with your leader behavior. If it does feel right it probably isn't. Set goals for yourself like ending the day on time, taking morning and afternoon breaks regardless of your schedule, eating a mid day work meal in a relaxing place, and striving for team harmony. Figure out ways to stay motivated for your entire day at work, home or play Convince yourself that you deserve life's very best each and every day. Do something nice for you in the course of your day, every day. Keep your options open and set aside time for your motivation activities (like reading a brief motivational piece) two to three times a day. Set aside frequent vacations, a mini retreat and afternoon off, getting a manicure, spending time with an energizing person, eating chocolate with nuts (my favorite), taking a brisk walk, taking a quick nap, and related. Stay in charge of your own personal motivation. Never depend on others to motivate you. Remember that if you are living a life you love at work or play, you will be richly blessed and rewarded daily.
It is hard to lead or follow for that matter, if you can't communicate well. So everyday at every opportunity, communicate at your best. Center your interactions to demonstrate who you are. Operate honestly. Speak truthfully. Maximize your use of words. Become a great semanticist. Say "thank you", "please", "you've been a great help", and "let me know how I can assist." Save time by the written word. Reply promptly and even informally to give a quick reply. Send positive thoughts, encouraging words or many thanks in frequent written notes. This saves time but gets your communications done. When possible, replies back with a handwritten note directly, or an original communicates to you. Many people will read a handwritten note quicker than a typed one. Let the person know you wanted to give them a quick reply. They will, in turn, accept your informality. If this becomes a frequent habit with the person, they become quickly used to it. So whether you are formal or informal, correspond with efficiency, both timely and effectively. Honesty, truthfulness, positive ness, and purposefulness work always. Let me also mention that a great leader is consistently teaching. 8) Teaching Ability Every leader must be a great teacher. You must stay on top of your leader role at all times. You must be able to get the whole point across all the time. Let me, therefore, encourage you to know what you know like an expert. Be able to teach, be humorous, go deep and be technical when needed. Review the section of this book that goes deeper into this role and lead with teaching. Remember that, to be a great leader, we must:
Yep, as a great leader you must be able to mentor and counsel. Mentoring and counseling may take you a distance past teaching. It may require you to be human, direct, honest, encouraging, energizing and challenging. Have you ever had a mentor that kept you on your toes and a counselor that made you see your strengths and weaknesses? I have and I have grown every time Thus, you and I must do the same. We must be steadfast and honest counselors. When the time is right, we must move the individual to a sense of "I want to be my best." We must honestly reflect when the statement needs to be "You can do better than this." or "You did your homework on this." or "Do you really want a mentor?" "If not, let's not waste your time or mine." Counselors and mentors don't have time to beat around the bush or play games. Too many others are waiting to receive your expertise. So...either counsels or mentors well, honestly, and consistently or don't bother. Remember, our followers know just as well when we have, or have not, done our own jobs. They may let us know by statements such as "Are you sure your have time to help me with this?" or "I could ask someone else to help me as you haven't been able to keep any of our appointments in the last four weeks." So we should also take our duties very seriously. Let's counsel and mentor well and without fail. A great leader demonstrates a good understanding of good social skills and business etiquette. 10) Social Skills and Business Etiquette Leaders do demonstrate, or should demonstrate, social skills and business etiquette. This is demonstrated in many ways including how we "talk" to people, "treat" people, and "manage" people. First must come dignity and respect. It does not matter the level of the person on the organizational chart or social scale, dignity and respect for the individual is basic. How leader-like are your socially? Do you arrive on time? Do you make individuals cool their heels in your office lobby? Do you say "Good morning", "Thank you" or "May I help you?" nicely to all levels of people you encounter? If not, critique yourself. You could be failing in other areas as well. Remember the basics:
11) Calculated Risk Taking You hasn't led if you are not taking calculated risks. Every leader must, at some point, study to make him or her knowledgeable and capable - so that he or she can delve into qualified risk exploration. Risk taking is not hard if you know what you are doing, have identified the land mines, are poised for the outcome, and are primed and prepared. Risk taking should be done only after thorough study, exploration of the pros and cons, facing all the positives and the negatives, and preparing to deal with any and all fall out. If we are not well prepared, we should delay the risk. It is the smart thing to do. You are not expected to go half-cocked into a quagmire. So don't. Study to make yourself ready for any projected risk you must face. Don't be ashamed to admit you are not ready to fight any battle requiring a lion's strength when you are at a kitten level. It's okay to be there but not if you carry out some dumb risk.
12) Technical Competence Competent? Technical? Substance Driven? Meat, not fluff? All of these have a little to do with technical competence as a leader. The key is, am I able to do my stuff when technical competence is the measure? In all situations we should try to be technically competent in any area we teach, supervise, counsel or mentor in. So whatever our role is as leader, we should learn as much as possible about it. We shouldn't take for granted that if someone hired us to do the task, that is the end all and be all. Have you seen someone who gets a job - often that no one else really wants, go off half-cocked thinking he or she is ready to play with the big guys? I have and it is not, as you know, a pretty sight. Therefore, let us strive to be the best technician we can be related to our craft, regardless of what it is. We can take courses, do self study, practice, seek out help research, view tapes, each books and anything else that will boost our knowledge and/or skill level. The key is to be valid, respected, and genuine in our duty area. If we don't know how to do "it" - let's figure out how - and the sooner, the better. No followers will respect us otherwise. Remember, just because you or I may be called leader, doesn't necessarily make it so. Thus, get technical, hands on, competence as the route you and I need to consistently go - courageously. 13) Courage Now courage is a phenomenally, magnificent word necessary to you, me and every other person who leads. What is courage? Stop and think for a moment how you would define it? Are you by your own definition...courageous? How do we know that we are courageous leaders? I think a few traits stand out. We are:
14) Faith, Belief and Persistence If you really want to be rich in your position, you must cultivate in yourself faith, belief and persistence. Your faith will be at a level it can help you persist. You must believe your own talk. You can't shy away from the least challenge. You who are blessed with these three characteristics make strong leaders because you have a wealth of richness to fall back on. You make a great candidate anytime you can value your own rhetoric. So try hard to believe in that for which you stand. Maintain your faith so that you can richly persist. Remember that those who employ and impart best demonstrate faith, belief and persistence:
None of the above leader traits, behaviors and attitudes can work well if the leader doesn't have a good sense of who he or she really is. Do you know what your strengths and weaknesses are in all the realms of your life? How are you physically, socially, educationally, psychologically, and spiritually? Do you impart true financial savvy? Are you courageous, caring, objective, empathic, and socially? Do you mentor well? Are you great in the area of business etiquette? What do you believe, have faith in or courageously defend? Behavior Exhibited by Great leaders 1. Keep their Eye on the Big Picture. When things get tough, everybody's temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. A great leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn't mean that we don't address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn't get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get. 2. Don't Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire. When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. A great leader is the one who can keep from being dragged into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don't really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The extraordinary leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers. 3. Remain Calm. Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. A great leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory. 4. Motivate. In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can't see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. A great leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good - and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny. 5. Create Small Wins. One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. A great leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So a great leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear. 6. Keep a Sense of Humor. Look, hardly anything in life can't be laughed at. A great leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. A great leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don't ever laugh at someone's expense in this situation, because that will be perceived as cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times. How you behave in a particular situation…shows, how good you are as a leader!!! When people make a decision (either consciously or unconsciously) to follow your leadership, they do it primarily because of one of two things: Your character or your skills. They want to know if you are the kind of person they want to follow and if you have the skills to take them further. Yes, there are other variables but these are the bulk of the matter. The following points focus on the kind of skills that cause people to follow your leadership, specifically, things that an extraordinary leader doesn't do! 1. Not Riding Momentum -- To increase your leadership effectiveness, you want to learn to ride the momentum of the situation (the positive momentum of course). When we begin to experience bad momentum we naturally try to stop it and that is good, but many people also have the tendency to try to stop the positive momentum as well. This comes from our basic desire to have things "under control." Unfortunately, often when we try to control the situation, we actually stop the good that is happening. So let go of the reigns and ride the momentum! 2. Flaunting the Privilege of Leadership -- Leadership has its privileges that are for sure. And rightly so! The entrepreneur who started the company ought to be paid well and reap the rewards for the risks that he or she took. Unfortunately, human nature is still such that people can resent the success and privileges of others, even if they worked hard for them. Therefore, a great leader will not be guilty of flaunting the privileges they have because this is likely to cause a backlash and can actually harm their ability to lead. Whenever possible, share the privileges and rewards of leadership and your followers will love you all the more. 3. Picking People Who Won't Threaten Them - A great leader will always try to pick people who are better than them. Again, human nature is such that we think, "Wait, if I hire him, he'll have me out of a job in no time." Then we pick someone of lesser quality, while our competitor hires the good one and surges ahead. No, pick the best. If they are better than you, you will grow together as a team and you will still be the leader and people will respect you for your ability to pick -- and lead -- a winning team. 4. Not Having a Second in Command Who Complements Them -- An ordinary leader picks someone who is like them so they can feel comfortable. A great leader picks someone who can do all the things that he or she can't; someone who can see things in ways that he or she can't. A great leader needs a right hand person who can complement their skills and style. This way the old adage is proved true -- two heads are better than one. 5. Not Giving Power Away -- An ordinary leader wants to do as much as they can so they can be seen as a good, hard worker. They think that they lead by example in this. A great leader knows that they need to empower others to do the work and make the decisions if the organization is to grow and they are together going to make a difference. We must let others take leadership themselves, even if it means they fail at first. This way we multiply the organizational leadership and we go even further. 6. Unable or Unwilling to Make Hard Decisions -- Leadership is a lot of decision making. Non-leaders don't like to make decisions because they operate from a subjective viewpoint. They aren't thinking about the overall health of the organization, they are thinking about who will get mad or who might lose their jobs. While we want to be sensitive to these things, a great leader understands that sometimes-hard decisions have to be made for the sake of the organization -- and they make them. Then they carry them out. Conclusion No one is a born leader, but leaders can be made. Here, it is a small attempt to describe as what it takes to be a leader and what is a difference between great and not-so-great leaders. I will be looking forward to your comments and feedback on the same. Have a great time and take care of your self. You can reach me, any time and anywhere. Submitted by: Sanjeev Sharma (Mobile:+91-9890788259; 9850884378); (E-mail: s070976@yahoo.co.in; ss_himachali@yahoo.com); (Blog: http://sanjeevhimachali.blogspot.com) |
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