Leaders who Build and Leaders who Destroy
As the leader of your company whether a startup or a multi-billion Rand company, you are in the spotlight whether you like it or not.
People are going to watch you, discuss your actions, and mimic your behavior. The choices you make every day as a leader have an enormous effect on the fate of your company, those who work for the company, and those it serves.
If you ever doubt the power of leadership, take a look at the organisations around you – those that are successful and those that are failing or have already failed. Sometimes external forces are a factor, but more often than not some aspect of leadership is at the core of the company’s outcome. Great leaders make great companies.
Below is a guide of 3 traits for comparison between those leaders who are building, and those who are destroying.
Communication
Those who build: Successful leaders communicate with an objective of gaining understanding from the person they are interacting with. Keep an open mind when communicating with your team to see things from their point of view; it will make it easier to explain what you want from them if you put yourself in their mindset.
Their opposites do not communicate. When you withhold information, you are basically telling your team that you don’t think they’re capable of handling the truth or being able to perform a duty. Always communicate openly and honestly. Your people are with you on this journey, so allow them to be part of the conversation.
Identify a clear plan and achievable goals
Those who build: Leaders who build have a strategic plan that will guide growth and show where, how and what the company is planning to accomplish. They then translate that strategic plan into action by setting goals that are clear, achievable and measurable. A plan without a goals is just a dream.
Their opposites either do not clearly define the goal and metrics for success or move the goal posts further away creating uncertainty and doubt about each employee’s role. People want to know what they’re responsible for and how they’re being evaluated. If your company’s culture fails to reward success or even define it clearly, people will focus less on how to get things done and worry more about what to do.
Using Power Mindfully and Vigilantly
Those who build: A good leader builds great teams and builds up the team members. Mindful leaders create environments with positivity which inevitably leads to a workplace where people are free to take responsible risks without fear of severe repercussions. Leaders who build can handle power positively and motivate and inspire others to be the best they can be.
Their opposites believe that instilling fear into the workplace makes for a more efficient workplace, but in reality, it breaks down one’s ability to think clearly and make rational decision. Now this could be classified as causing stress, but stress and fear are different. Stress can be used as a self-motivation tool whereas fear and intimidation are destructive for business.
Final Thoughts
Put your heart and soul into it. Leaders are great not because of their power, but because of their ability to inspire, and the best leaders know that building a great company isn’t just what you accomplish but what you enable others to accomplish. Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader, they set out to make a difference.
As Steve Jobs once said, “Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.”