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“Leadership is intangible. No
weapon, no impersonal piece of machinery
ever designed can take its place” - Omar N Bradley”
What is leadership?. Leadership
is the art of influencing people to get things done, willingly. This is the
definition I learned, serving as an officer in the military. I used to
wonder, then “How do I get soldiers to follow me in sacrificing their life
for a worthy cause”. Yes, they would do it for the country, but would they
follow me in doing so?. After 22 years of soldiering in the military and 4
years down the private sector, I have come to realise that the art of
leadership is the same, everywhere.
When does one become a leader?. Whether you like it or not, the moment they
place a person under your charge, you become a leader. It would mean that
you are entrusted to lead the way for your subordinate worker in the
accomplishment of a mission, task or job. This is where most managers fail
to appreciate – the need to lead not manage. Most managers do not recognize
that they are responsible and accountable not just for the end result, but
for the people as well. They are more focus on the results, instead of
attending to the performance and ability of the workers. As a result,
managers are often seen firefighting and shifting blaming to either workers,
HR, system, culture and a host of other problems, except their own
leadership style or approach.
The art of leadership competency, as I vividly recall, is nothing more than
the application of 3 fundamental characteristics:
1. Knowledge.
Knowledge is all that
information needed to do a job or task. This may include technical,
managerial, leadership, psychological and others. This is important to
demonstrate, convince and influence your people that you know exactly what
you want them to do. One should never be shy of knowledge or for the lack of
it. What is important is a leader’s honesty and willingness to learn from
his people, irrespective of rank or status. The virtue of humility has a far
reaching impact in the build up of trust. Knowledge is the intellectual
dimension that allows a leader to build positive power of influence. People
would listen in because of wisdom, not because they have to!.
2. Courage.
Courage can be measured in
terms of physical and moral. Whilst physical courage has its significance in
the military, it is moral courage that separates the professional from the
amateur. A leader without moral courage is one without a backbone. Moral
courage is the foundation for integrity because it gives you the strength of
character within never to fear anyone or anything in leading your people.
This is what will inspire people to do, willingly, even if its the negative
kind such as the world had witnessed in Nazi Germany during WW2. In a
corporate context, this would mean standing up for righteousness, standing
by your people, fighting for any injustice, rewarding them accordingly, and
punishing them for their wrong doings, including termination. A leader must,
when the situation demands, choose the harder right instead of the easier
wrong.
3. Compassion. This
is the emotional dimension that underscores the caring nature of a leader
towards his fellow workers, particularly when the chips are down. It is a
reflection of the degree of willingness to listen with your mind and heart.
Compassion is not about treating people with “welfare” outlook, but rather
treating people with respect, trust and care they deserve as human beings.
If they have weaknesses or are not performing to expectations, then it is
incumbent upon leadership to extend a helping hand in overcoming it
effectively and efficiently. A leader who is willing to bridge the gap,
listen to and empathise with his workers will earn their respect and
sacrifice – paving the way to the ultimate test of all leadership –
Willingness
That in a nutshell is what leadership is all about, be you from any walk of
life. Wherever you are or go, as long as you are a leader you shall be
measured by these characteristics. Leadership is not about management, power
authority, position or wondrous charm – Its about inspiring and influencing
people to do things, willingly.
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