EVERYONE wants to be a leader. You pick a cross-section of the young managers working in your org and ask them, over 90% of them will desire senior leadership. Why? What do you think their motivations are?Story of so many assessments. But also story of Ed Irvin, who chose not to grow to leadership. (Demming 11 years)
What do you think?
At the outset, there is this thrill at becoming a leader. The primary drivers and desires are to do with ego fulfilment. 2. But, The readiness levels are low. And then reality bites. There is a time of confusion. Not knowing.3. Sometimes you get banged up.4. Finally you settle.
So what really is leadership?
Values are the lighthouse. The guiding principles. They define the conditions in which we will NOT do business. – Financial services industry today. Also example of Leader at Bharti, who quit when something went wrong on his watch.The skills/Talent question is the X-ray question. It takes a deep look at our ability to deliver. - And The searchlight question is when we explore future opportunities? – Example of crowd-funding of education. How Banking is going to deal with this?But why do we say Courage? How come the use of that term? Why should it take courage?Leaders many times, have built the values/skills and org. To see negatives in it is like calling their own child ugly. It’s an admission of frailty or imperfection. Leaders buy-in to the hero myth. And heroes are perfect. Unless they’re batman ;o)
In an uncertain world, many times we don’t have answers. We know this. Just like when we knew we were unprepared for a test.Even then we feigned confidence. To do it today, is dangerous.Courage is to move forward even when you are fearful of what you will discover. What does the word vulnerability mean? How is vulnerability linked to courage?
How many of you have heard this word? But you’re all dealing with it!So how do leaders lead in an environment that is constantly changing and dynamic? Where nothing stays the same?
The days of leaders knowing all the answers and telling their teams what to do, are over.This releases a huge burden from a leaders’ shoulders. Leaders who have walked away from this know the difference.The Leader of today, seeks to involve
A key trait of successful leaders is curiosity. The desire to know more. The desire to seek to understand versus seek to explain.What comes in the way of curiosity? Arrogance/Know-it-all. Or a deep sense of responsibility that I MUST know all the answers.However, the primary characteristic required for curiosity is humility. It is humility that enables you to see that you don’t know all the answers and it’s ok. There is also vulnerability here.Intellectual humility – That leads you to believe that you do not KNOW IT ALL – Sunil Mittal taking the Bharti leadership team to China.Personal Humility – That allows you to learn from anybody, as long as they have an answer, irrespective of status or hierarchy or background. Humility allows you to admit mistakes, to accept them. Curiosity enables you to make the effort to figure out why?Humility enables you to accept that you do not know.Curiosity enables you to venture forth to find out.
The answers will come from multiple sources. No one source will have all the answers. Cast a wide net.Have a network, inside and outside. Within your castle and at the boundaries of your empire.With friends and with enemies. – Example of Armed Forces during a battle. Information from multiple sources. People on ground empowered.
Leaders have to move away from certain, defined solutions that are guaranteed, to finding comfort with experimentation.From Fialsafe, to Safe-Fail, create ways to experiment in small batches, with trusted customers who are collaborators in an uncertain world and willing to partner with you. With each iteration, the solution evolves to a better version.
When you have authority, you can cause immense damage. Followership ethic is attuned to do what you say. You will get air-time. When you talk others will listen. You will feel good. You will talk more. You will listen less. You will lose humility.No authority, nobody listens to them. They have NO air-time. 30 seconds maybe. As a leader, be alert, be aware when you receive a message from someone like this. If you are in the no authority zone yourself, form allies who have authority so that someone can get your voice heard. They are your amplifiers.
M. Scott Peck – The road less Travelled.As a leader, you will be at the forefront. Be in the spotlight. What happens to deer who are spotlit? Leadership is difficult. No matter what the world says, or if the spotlight misses you. You will always know. You will always doubt. You will always feel responsible.Sanctuary is a retreat. Need not be a physical space, but it certainly is a mental space. That you seek out on a regular basis where you get back in touch with your purpose. Why you are in leadership. What your values are. What you want to achieve. How you want to achieve it. How you want to touch lives. And acknowledge yourself, pat on the back. Get in touch with humility, accept your failures, forgive yourself. And re-strengthen your resolve. And come back to the battle.I have several sanctuaries. First is to destress myself. And then reflection reading or conversations.
But HOW do you know all this? How do you know you need sanctuary? How do you know you need to back off as a leader or move forward? – Self-awareness.Why do you want to be a leader?What fuels your desire to lead?How will your having been a leader make a difference to people and situations other than you and your life?
Why do you want to be a leader?What fuels your desire to lead?How will your having been a leader make a difference to people and situations other than you and your life?
A leader cannot be everywhere, so she learns to see from the eyes of others.The leader of today, has a wide network inside and outside the organization and makes conscious time to gather information, so that he may SEE farther and more than others. The ability to “SEE” or “Envision” is a competitive advantage.Leaders who are arrogant. Who are insecure. Who are overconfident. Who do not have a reality check. They do not REALLY see.