GREAT leaders are not only measured by results, but by the influence and legacy they leave behind. They touch the heart above everything else. It is said people might forget what you did, but they won’t forget how you made them feel.
How people speak about you in your absence might be your true colour. We live in a competitive world, and that enables the greed of leaders to use people to score marks and leave wounds in those they used.
Clearly, emotional intelligence becomes the cornerstone of this debate.
Your title doesn’t matter
Weak leaders love titles, and are emphatic on others. Great leaders can be in the crowd and neutralise their presence, yet have a positive impact.
Weak leaders force people to recognise the title they hold while strong leaders are keen on creating relations that go beyond the demands of work.
Leaders who love tittles might forget that the title might be stripped off, but the relations last longer. Remember, your subordinate is defenceless from your power.
You can either use that power to empower them or use it to make them live in fear. Most people don’t quit jobs because the salary was low, they quit jobs because of the leader and the corporate culture.
Hard talk
Weak leaders think authoritarianism is hard talk. They assume that leadership is when everyone under them runs, coys, fears and frets.
Hard talk is when you (as a leader) receive real perspectives from those you lead and receive that with grace. The moment you are able to receive that, without firing your follower, you are a wise leader.
Leading from the heart
Weak leaders abuse other people. Great leaders seek buy-in and they appreciate the power and input of their team members. When you care, people know and feel it.
When you are haughty and hard, people avoid you. The human being has the ability to hear beyond what the ear can pick, or see what the eye can see. A human being can pick your internal vibrations of the heart. Love people to lead them effectively.
Talent density
Great leaders see power and not a threat in talent, hence the value is in increasing talent density. Remember, the leader is not meant to work hard, but think hard and develop, delegate, and deploy talent.
Feedback loop
Weak leaders do what they think; great leaders listen and create a better product using a mélange, a bricolage, a collage, a collection, a collation and collision of ideas. Both negative and positive feedback is important.
Porter five forces
You might not have an MBA or MBL, but there is all reason you should know your competition. The least of the tools you should have is Porter’s Five Forces framework.
If you don’t have/know this tool, you might be eaten for lunch soon. Porter’s Five Forces analyses your competition and understands market forces.
Learning agility
Learn change, complexity and competition as a leader. When you stop learning, you stop growing.
If you stop learning you start dying. Always eye the next bounce of the ball. Don’t be caught flatfooted.
Learn from ignorant people and do the inverse. Learn great models from the successful and leverage on those.
