Leadership is not for some people. If you want to lead other people, you must meet them where they are.
And you must be willing to learn from ‘the best of the best’. If you really want to get into the game of leading other people, here are some leadership lessons that can get you started.
‘Leadership is always a journey with others.
‘Each day, leaders must be willing to look into a mirror of self-awareness.’
‘As a shepherd, the leader keeps others aligned, sometimes by walking in front, sometimes behind, and sometimes beside. The leader’s focus is always on others.’
‘To lead others, you must contually measure yourself- not overestimating your strengths, and not underestimating your weaknesses.’
‘As the leader, you are responsible for what goes on in your organization.’
‘You are the face of the organization.’
‘As the leader, you must fully and totally embody that function as a steward of the organization, the role model of the purpose and vision, and the shepherd of the team.’
‘In any leadership appointment, you don’t have a lot of time- and the job can be taken away from you.’
‘Being a leader is not a life time appointment.’
‘As the leader, your job is to inspire people so they can empower themselves.’
‘As the leader, you are the master of your organization’s narrative.’
‘You cannot empower people; people must do that for themselves.’
‘When you are an authentic leader, people will trust what you say and mirror what you do.’
‘Empowerment means enabling and equipping others to make decisions that are directionally aligned with the organization’s vision and purpose.’
‘Your ability to empower others is all about raising people’s sights and instilling belief and confidence in what they can do.’
‘The leader’s journey is from ‘what we’ve been’ to ‘what we will be.’
‘As a leader of others … you cannot expect people to follow blindly.’
‘As a leader, your responsibility is to cast purpose as the long shadow over the organization.’
‘As a leader, you must embody purpose.’
‘When people embrace a greater purpose in all that they do, it creates change and inspires possibility.’
‘A brilliant plan that only gets halfway there is a failed plan.’
‘As a leader, it’s so easy to get caught up with so many different things that you lose sight of what is ultimately the most important.’
‘When there is trust in what you say, there will be belief in what you do.’
‘On your leadership journey, don’t walk alone.’
‘To lead is to coach; to win you must have the right players on the team.’
‘To be a leader, you can’t journey alone. Leadership requires followership. To create followership leaders must meet people where they are.’
‘To lead is to make an emotional connection on a very real and human level in every interaction.’
‘As a leader, you must commit to meeting the needs of those who follow.’
‘As the leader, you facilitate from the sidelines, but you are never removed from the frontline, ultimately accountable for the results of the team.’
‘Leaders who hold off all celebration and recognition to the end of the journey will likely find they are traveling alone.’
‘Leadership fosters belonging- developing an emotional connection.’
‘The true rewards are reaped by transforming self-interest to common purpose.’
‘As a leader, you have to continuously measure and ensure the alignment of the compensation and incentive process to the strategy and behavior you are trying to drive …’
‘As the leader, you are involved in compensation of your team: salary, bonus, and benefits.’
‘Communication builds alignment and executes strategy.’
‘Learning is what keep you on the track and able to outpace the rest.’
‘Leaders who are agile learners absorb information from their experience and use it to navigate unfamiliar terrain.’
‘Leadership is grace, dignity, and restraint.’
‘Words motivate, but actions inspire.’
‘There is no freedom of speech unless one has economic independence …’
‘Listen to what you don’t want to hear, listen without judgment, and never, never, ever, seek retribution for something somebody said.’
‘As the leader you are constantly going back and forth, between the present you see and the future you want to realize, in order to generate the momentum that keeps the organization moving forward.’
‘As a leader, you must look around the next turn in the road- tapping the brakes before the turn, accelerating through the curve- and always having a Plan C for plan B.’
‘A leader expects and predicts, but doesn’t guess.’
‘To navigate means making proactive, purposeful decisions. It requires agility in the moment yet a focus on the horizon- the company’s vision and purpose.’
‘Navigating means choosing to address today rather than put off until tomorrow.’
‘As a leader, there is no room for offhand suggestions; you will be taken literally.’
‘To navigate is to deal with reality.’
‘A lack of decision making fosters uncertainty, creating organizational paralysis, which can be deadly.’
‘What you learn today determines your success tomorrow.’
‘To lead is to be a world-class observer.’
‘… achievements fade, progress inspires and learning endures.’
‘Knowledge is what you already know. Wisdom is acknowleding what you do not know.’
‘Leaders are flexible, adaptable, and open to feedback, while believing strongly in the journey and its purpose.’
‘… to lead is to define a common purpose that transcends individual self-interest to an organization’s shared interest.’
‘A journey … is an accumulation of many moments- each a renewal of your aspiration toward the destination.’
‘Leading is a succession of day-to-day coaching, reinforcement, and when necessary, redirection.’
Finally, ‘ Leaders must begin the day by taking a good look in the mirror.’
Source:
Gary Burnison (2015). The Leadership Journey: How to Master the Four Critical Areas of Being a Great Leader
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