Good leaders are not born that way; they nurture themselves into one. In simple terms, it involves aligning yourself with what you think is really important, beyond the din that is surrounding us, and sharing it with others at the right moment, while demonstrating a trustable behavior.
It starts with trying to know what is important, and then finding, doing and being it. It matures when you try and develop these qualities perennially, with a never-ending process of learning, effort, experience and voluntary participation.
According to 'Transformational Leadership' theory, people can chisel themselves into good leaders in the domain of their choice with effort and practice. Theodore Hesburgh, a past president of the University of Notre Dame said, "The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion."
Thus, in basic terms, practicing leadership simply involves 3 steps. They are:
- Knowing more than what is obvious
- Being dependable and winning the trust from others.
- Sharing what you know when needed through effective communication.
Knowing More - Know more than what is expected of you. In other words, do your homework, and the extra credit and love doing it.
- Become proficient and a master of your domain.
- Know yourself and your environment
- Continuously strive to know your customers, team-members, other stakeholders and what they want.
- Earn credibility and reliability by behaving in a consistent manner.
- Seek responsibility and own responsibility for your actions
- Keep your people informed and think about their needs and wants
- Be open and practice honesty
- Have courage to advise
- Educate your team with what you know and substantiate your beliefs with facts
- Practice listening and be sensitive to emotions
- Practice communication
- Maturity as a leader can come only with continuous practice and effort. So, practice your leadership skills everyday and strive become a good one. Remember the following quote for motivation:
It is a matter of choice; It is not a thing to be waited for, It is a thing to be achieved“ -William Jennings Bryan
This article was first posted in Karthik's personal blog in May. 2004 |
|
