THE leader is the engine room for any organisation.
If the leader fails, the company might sink.
What are those signs to show the leader has failed?
The leader must bring value to the organisation and those that lead.
You create problems
Some leaders bring progress and positive change.
History will show us that some bring retrogression and negative change.
The Bible then says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” (Proverbs 29: 2).
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This shows that people suffer when there is negative change or the leaders cause problems.
Dr Myles Munroe then says: “You are kept for the problems you solve, you are let go for the problems you create”
No successor
“A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession,” said John C. Maxwell.
The leader cannot be on the helm forever, and that means there should be a way of passing on the button.
A great leader should be willing to pass on his creativity and strategy.
Lack communication
Communication is the source of ideas.
So if a leader can’t communicate he kills the feedback loop.
Any organisation or institute is built on ideas, so if communication is poor ideas could be thwarted or suppressed.
Colin Powell rightly pointed out that: “Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”
Lack of agility
When we fail to change, we miss relevance as leaders.
Change is moving fast and it would take a leader to change.
When the leader lacks flexibility, he misses on a number of issues and misses on growth.
Successful companies of old that failed is because they did not see the next bounce of the ball.
Lack of KPIs
Irresponsible leaders don’t want to be responsible and accountable.
In business we have a known SMART model, which looks at the business to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound.
Lack of good management
We have records all around us, especially in Africa.
However, most people continue to languish in poverty.
The problem is not that we are poor, it’s the poor management of resources.
We need a better manager; these are people who are to protect the plunder resources, and help to add more value to those resources.
Compromised trust
If people can’t trust a leader, it’s hard to lead. There is diminished buy in.
A leader that can’t be trusted might be lacking on integrity issues.
Mistrust means lack of cohesion in the team.
It’s hard for people to follow if they can’t trust you.
Their way out is the ability to practice what you preach.
Lack of growth
Failed leaders don’t want to grow their human resources.
If you improve or invest in your followers, it becomes easy for them to add value to the organisation.
The leader should be inspirational, and encourage followers to pursue personal growth.
The more we learn the better we become competitive.
Lack of emotional intelligence
Intellectual intelligence is good, but it’s not enough.
If you are emotionally in tune, you are aware of your emotions and how they can affect others.
Secondly, you are socially intelligent and are able to quickly read other people’ emotions and be able to manage those emotions.
In reality, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you know” (John C. Maxwell).
A space without emotional intelligence leads to toxicity and unresolved matters.
Lack of learning
Leaders that don’t learn fast or don’t learn at all suffer from being irrelevant and out of touch.
I have seen leaders who struggle on a number of tech related matters but tech is the order of the day.
So, if you are leading tech savvy young people, you must struggle communicating in their language.
The best you can do is to learn new things and always find means to expand your mind.
When did you last read a book? When did you last attend a workshop? What new tools and models are you aware of that could enable you as a leader?
If you don’t learn you become redundant just like a smartphone that has an updated software.
Parting point: A failed leader leads to a failed family. A failed family leads to a failed community.
A failed community leads to a failed state. A failed country leads to pain for its citizens. As a leader strive to learn and that would make you a better leader.
