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Learning to Lead
No matter how ambitious your goals are and how much energy you have, if you’re not a good leader, it’s unlikely that you’ll be successful. That’s because the effectiveness of your work will never rise above your ability to lead others.
A group of people was walking through a village. When they passed an old man, one of them asked condescendingly, “Were any great men born in this village?” The old man answered, “Nope.” He then added that only babies were born there. This moral is applicable to leadership: although some people seem to be naturally gifted with the ability to lead others, most need guidance from more experienced leaders. Ten principles can help you become a mature leader:
Principle One: “The Definition of Leadership: Influence”
Leaders need followers. They attract those people because of their influence and leadership skills. Everyone has influence with at least a few people, but the difference between an average person and a leader is scope.
Leadership is made up of five components that work together.
” People follow those who have authority. Authority is given by a title, but not necessarily influence. Bosses are not automatically leaders. Instead, your influence grows according to the intensity of your commitment. “
“People development is a key to leadership. People follow leaders because they feel inspired by them.” – Good leaders are mentors because they help people improve themselves and be better at what they do.
“Personhood: People follow you because of who you are.” – After a lifetime of leadership, people will recognize your personal charisma. They’ll follow you because they respect the values that you embody.
Principle Two: “The Key to Leadership: Priorities”
Setting priorities is key to success. The Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, states that 20% of your activities will result in 80% of your results. This helps you focus on the most important things and delegate less important tasks to others. To prioritize effectively, first determine what’s absolutely required of you (the must-do activities), what areas you enjoy doing and which ones give you the best return on investment (the fun stuff). Then reevaluate these items regularly as situations change.
Principle Three: “The Most Important Ingredient of Leadership: Integrity”
Integrity is a simple idea. It means to say what you mean and do what you say. That’s hard, though, because people tend to be inconsistent in their actions. To have integrity, you need to clarify your most deeply held convictions and use them as guidelines for your behavior. You should earn the trust of others by setting a consistent example that they can follow. No one trusts someone who is phony or hypocritical; therefore it’s important for leaders to have integrity so that they are accountable for their decisions and behavior. People will only respect those who lead with integrity if they themselves are respected first.
Principle Four: “The Ultimate Test of Leadership: Creating Positive Change”
Leaders, like all people and organizations, resist change. They have a certain momentum that makes them who they are. It’s difficult to get them to change their ways or persuade others to do so as well. Those who succeeded in the old system will continue doing what worked for them before while those who were comfortable with it don’t want the disruption of new things coming into place. Yet, life is always changing and if you’re not growing or changing then you’re not leading either.
In order to facilitate change, examine your organization’s needs and motivations. Inspiration is key for changing the culture of an organization. Before you ask others to change, demonstrate your own willingness to change first. Ask them to participate in the process and share their ideas with you; they’ll be more likely to support a process they feel they own (rather than one that seems imposed on them). Keep communication open throughout the entire process by explaining why this shift will benefit everyone involved personally as well as professionally. Provide psychological support by giving everyone time to think about it and adjust before moving forward with implementing changes. If you present the shift as an augmentation or refinement of previous routines rather than a total revolution, there will be less resistance from those who might otherwise resist such changes because it won’t seem like something new or foreign being forced upon them without warning or explanation.
