Continued...
12.
Having a vision and a plan isn’t enough if you want to be a great leader.
Leaders must learn how to communicate that vision with ease, clarity and
conviction. Leaders know how to explain the reasons behind what they want to
achieve or the motive driving them forward. Leaders know how to explain to
others why things must be done or accomplished. Leaders know how to make others
understand that the outcome will benefit all, not just the leader. By
explaining the vision, leaders create an invisible bond that allows them
to move forward together with strength in numbers. Above all, remember this, it
is not the responsibility of others to listen to you (the leader), it is your
responsibility as a leader to get others to listen to you! It is the leader’s
responsibility to make others understand the goal.
13.
Explaining or communicating a vision requires a leader to think backwards. By
that I mean, they must see the end goal in their mind’s eye and begin to work
backwards on constructing the necessary steps to achieve their goal. In
business, when competitors want to know how you built a certain product, they
first acquire the product and then take it apart to see how it was put
together. This is called reverse engineering. A leader is a visionary
architect of destiny; constructing a bridge between the vision and the necessary
elements to get there. Leader must reverse engineer the goal: see the goal,
visualize it, give it texture and then communicate it how to achieve it. Only
then can a leader begin to construct a plan on how to get ‘there’.
14.
Leaders must be dependent! In order to achieve any level success, leaders must
depend on those who are around them. Leaders know the particular shapes of the
personnel pegs who surround them. They know their people and where they fit
best in bringing about a goal, idea or event to fruition. Leaders have to know
people better than they know themselves. They must put people, not in a
position to fail, but to succeed. Like the coach of any sport’s team, a leader’s
job is to figure out who is best for what position. A leader doesn’t cow-tow to
favoritism, nepotism, ageism, racism, or any other “ism”. Leaders choose people
based on their skills and their skills alone. Leaders know that violating this
principle (i.e., using ‘isms’) will inevitably bring about failure. Leaders who
surround themselves with people for the wrong reasons, will always fail no
matter the season.
15.
Leaders have an annoying habit of never being satisfied! A leader always
asks, “How can I…? How do I…? What do I need to…? What else needs to be done
in order to…?” A leader never indulges in the “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve
tirade or the “Won’t, Can’t, shouldn’t” mind set. Leaders look forward and look
beyond limitations. Never satisfied, leaders always ask that visionary
question, “What if…?”
16.
Leaders have an acute affinity for The Law of Averages. With every ‘What
if...?’ there are uncertainties. And Leaders know that failure is part of the
game. Failure to them is a successful way of eliminating options that don’t
work. They know that failure brings them that much closer to understanding
how to succeed. Babe Ruth the baseball icon is remembered as a great home run
king. But hardly anyone remembers how abysmal his strikeout record is. Leaders
know that people, over the course of time, will judge you not on how many times
you missed, but how many successes you’ve had. Leaders continue to keep
swinging because eventually The Law of Averages kicks in. Like in baseball and
in life, if you stand there long enough and swing often enough you’re bound to
hit failure out of the park. Leaders never stop swinging, they just keep
“lettin’er rip”.
17.
With
strikeouts or failures comes criticism. A leader shoulders criticism and
shields it from his people. Like water off a duck’s back, leaders accept
the ultimate responsibility for an action or outcome and then proceed to let it
roll off of them. Leaders know that there are many people waiting to see them
fail. A leader’s responsibility to himself and to those around him is to
insulate themselves from the negativity that is borne of criticism. Leaders
know that those who criticize are usually those who have never accomplished
anything great. Leaders know that those who have never failed have never taken
risks. Leaders know that criticism carries an element of envy. They know that
others want to see them fail because it’ll make them feel better to criticize.
Those who never take risk love to sit back in the cheap seats jeering.
Criticism will always be thrown your way, a good leader learns to shrug it off
and move on.
18.
Good
leaders never take credit; they give it. When good things happen a great leader
gives the credit to others; never personally accepting the accolades. Leaders
know that it takes a group to make something come about and he takes pride in
creating a situation that made it possible. Leaders don’t enjoy the credit when
a goal has been achieved. What they do enjoy is watching and listening as the
team relishes every small victory along the way. Leaders know that giving
credit is much more satisfying to the soul than accepting it. Leaders know that
the greatest joy in leading is seeing those people around them surprise
themselves when they exceed their own self-imposed limitations. Leaders are
success voyeurs. There excitement comes from watching people grow and
pushing beyond what they once believed impossible.
19.
The
essence of time is never lost on leader. Leaders realize that our most precious
commodity is time. Leaders who have things to do are not appreciative of any
event or instance that robs them of their time to get things done. Leaders are
also respectful and mindful of the other person’s time. For instance, a leader
will not ask for a meeting without having something of value to transmit.
Leaders show up on time to their commitments, whether it’s an interview, meeting
or social engagement. Leaders respect timeframes and will work diligently to
conform to them. Leaders know that failing to meet timetables and keeping
commitments would undermine their credibility in the long run.
20.
A
leader knows when to take council and listen to others who may have different
perspectives to offer. Leaders know that learning is a never-ending process
where each day can bring some new insight. Great leaders work to protect
themselves from developing egocentric blind spots.
21.
Leaders know who they are and more importantly their limitations. Success for
them is about exploiting their strengths and compensating for their weakness
with good people. As Clint Eastwood said, “A man’s got to know his
limitations.” Being keenly aware of your limitations allows you to take action
to improve yourself or seek out people who have those talents and utilize them.
There is no shame in not knowing, only in pretending to know and misleading
others.
22.
Lastly, a leader is a Sentinel.
A Sentinel was a person who manned the outposts of a village or small town
protecting it from invaders. In today’s rapidly changing market, a Sentinel is
needed to man the outpost of change; making groups aware of new things and
coming trends. In this dynamic market economy a leader has to learn how to
anticipate change. Learning to anticipate comes from experience, from failures
and successes alike. The ultimate quality of a leader is the ability to lead
and protect his group. A leader anticipates what lies ahead based on what he or
she has seen in the past. Leaders know that they have been entrusted with a
great responsibility; leadership.
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