Leadership

There are some areas in life where I feel I have a lot to learn.  Leadership is one of them.  So I can only pass on the small things I’ve learned in this journey because unfortunately there are very few good leaders I’ve been exposed to up close and personal.  But what I have learned is true leaders make other leaders.  They don’t dominate, and control, and think for everyone.

True leaders empower, embrace, and make the other people around them better.

They also have a heart of service.  Some leaders in the past have been ruthless, and destructive, and self serving.  They talk about the greater good, when all along it’s really about what’s good for them.  If you want to follow someone like that, just understand they are in it for themselves, and whenever their interest conflict with yours, you will lose.

A leader with a heart of service serves those she leads.  She leads by example, lifting those around her and making the long term a better place.  By serving those constituents, she raises her own stature in the eyes of everyone around them, and the community as a whole benefits.

Elon Musk once said that being an entrepreneur is like chewing on glass while standing on the edge staring into the abyss.  And while that may be a little extreme, it does exemplify the feelings you’ll have as a leader.  Another way to put it is it’s lonely at the top, and if you’re at the top, there is nothing to block the wind.

You have to take full responsibility for the results of whatever group, organization, or company you are leading.  It took me a long time to understand that an organization reflects the decisions of it’s leadership eventually.  Whomever the CEO is, or the boss is, or the President, it matters.  This can be seen in the stock market.  A company that has lots of intrinsic value will eventually reflect that price in the marketplace.  A good company, with a good leader, might be trading low today because of some market force, but over time the worth will become reflected in the stock price.  That competency, that truth, will eventually show through.

The recent COVID crisis was an amazing time for leadership to shine.  Did you panic?  Did you run around like a chicken with your head cut off, or did you stop, think, stay calm and plan out what you were going to do?  Calm is contagious, just the same way as excitement is.  Being calm in a crisis, thinking through what you’re going to do, is the best way for you to lead.  But you have to believe it.  You have to understand in your heart that you will get through this.  You will overcome, and you will manage this challenge like you have any other, because if you don’t believe it, nobody else will either.

Leadership is also about understanding the motivations of the people you lead, and incenting them to do better.  What motivates them?  What gets them going in the morning?  Some things you might want to think about are understanding their point in life.  Are they just trying to feed their family?  Or are they at the point where they are pretty set, but looking for a greater challenge?  Money only incents people so far, and everyone has a different line, but beyond that line, it’s about how fulfilling a challenge do they want to take on?  Know that, and you can move people in the right direction.

Similar to the incentives, remember that what gets measured gets done.  If your focus is on a particular metric, whether that’s sales, or performance, or profit, what gets measured and assigned a goal, is what will get done in the long run.  So be careful what you measure.

One of the most important things a leader can do is think about what they are facing, make decisions, and act.  But it all starts with the thinking.  Life is so busy, especially as a leader.  Everyone wants your thoughts, your time, your feedback, your input.  Sometimes they really need the help, sometimes they are just looking to gain your favor.  Either way, you have to take the time to evaluate, stop, and think.  Every day.  Don’t wish things were easier, wish you were smarter.  If you were smarter, they’d be easier.  So think about it.

The greatest leader I know, Warren Rustand, has a framework he uses to lead with.  This is having clarity of vision, certainty of intent, and the power of values.  These are not difficult to understand, but they are hard to do.  Knowing where you want to go, knowing what you have to do to get there, and being true to yourself and what you believe in along the way will make you an exceptional leader.

But the most important thing you can do if you want to be a better leader, is to study leadership.  That is my path.

There are amazing biographies of leaders you can tap into.  Books, videos, and online courses to help you on your way.  The only caution I have is make sure the person or people you are choosing to emulate are living the life you want to live.  If they are, go for it.  If not, then it’s better to learn that now, and find someone who is worthy of your time and effort.  Because knowing what you want to accomplish is 80% of the battle.

If you fail to find someone close to you that you really want to emulate, then do the next best thing.  Be the leader you wish you had.