Is anyone befuddled by the fall from
grace of so many leaders? Is anyone befuddled by the choices some leaders make
as if nobody is watching? Is anyone captivated by the word befuddled? OK, maybe
that last one is just me.
Let's be very clear. Part of the
challenge for leaders is that they are all human. And as humans, we are all
flawed. That being said, what is effective
leadership? Is it a title? Is it achieving goals? Is it inspiring others?
Is it seeing a unique vision?
Leadership is a combination of
practical skills
and personal values that, when used together; create an atmosphere in which
people feel valued and motivated to pursue a clear vision. It's like Kung Fu
meets Feng Shui (that works much better phonetically than in writing).
I've spent a lot of time thinking about
leadership over the past year, as I just finished my term as president of the
National Speakers Association, the association for professional speakers,
trainers and consultants. Ironically, our acronym is NSA -- but we're not the
ones who listen, we're the ones who talk!
In my role as president, I was the
chairperson for the board of directors, appointed and oversaw nearly 40
volunteer leaders, and was an ambassador to 38 chapters here in the U.S. and to
nine international associations all over the world. So, I got a good dose of
leadership experience.
The following are some concepts that I
rediscovered during the past year.
1. Leadership
is not always what you do but how you do it.
I've seen people in leadership roles who have a great vision for where their
organization needs to go but the way they manage the process and the way they
treat people becomes a barrier to their success. Leaders who embrace humility,
graciousness, and attend to their people, will not only achieve more but have
more support along the way. (Note, this did not apply to Steve Jobs. Just
saying.)
2. Effective leaders know their limitations. Most leaders have specific gifts and skills. They can't be
good at everything. An effective leader recognizes limitations and attracts
other people to compliment his/her skills.
3. Great leaders have a sense of humor. There are many examples of leaders using humor to engage
others, disarm conflict and lighten the mood. President Ronald Reagan, Tony
Hsieh of Zappos, and First Lady Michelle Obama have used humor effectively in
their leadership roles. A leader who has a sense of humor, especially about
themselves, appears more confident and attracts confidence from others.
4. Leaders do what needs to be done. An effective leader is willing to do what needs to be done
to move the organization forward. Whether this requires having difficult
conversations with a staff member, covering for a colleague who is ill, or
making the right decision rather than the easy decision, a leader who does what
needs to be done is a leader worth following.
5. Leadership is a
service and not a destination.
Sometimes people seek a position of leadership for the position itself. They
may desire the power or the acclaim that goes with the position. However, a
leader that seeks to serve rather than to be served will always be more
effective.
6. With great power comes great responsibility. This classic line from Spiderman reinforces the idea that
leaders must own their responsibility during the good times and the bad times.
Leaders who relinquish responsibility to avoid taking blame usually dig a much
deeper hole for themselves. Leaders who step up to their responsibility
generate more trust and respect.
There are a lot of leadership books on
the market today. But one of the best indications of effective leadership is
not just what is accomplished but how the people being led to those
accomplishments view the leader and the process.
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