Over my professional life I've been in leadership positions and believe some have a propensity to be good leaders, generally the better leaders, but one is not born into it; leadership can be taught to those who have the willingness to learn.
I believe we all lead in some manner: School teachers and educators, sporting coaches, team captains or senior players on the sporting field, older siblings, parents, workers in an office, even people going about their days and lives generally; we lead directly or by example, say, stopping to help an old person cross a busy street, carrying a heavy load for someone who is struggling or giving up one's seat for an elderly passenger on a bus - just a few small examples of leading by example. Leaders look to help others achieve and they hold to higher standards.
However some people have to lead differently, in a more direct manner, and how they lead can be critically important.
Thinking about leadership, the training I've had and what I've learned in text books, by instruction and organically, I believe there are several non-negotiable principles that one must adhere to, embrace and uphold. I've listed them below in no particular order and strongly believe they are the framework of solid leadership.
- Understand yourself and look for continual self-improvement.
- Be accomplished
- Look for and welcome responsibility
- Lead by example
- Give direction and information to the team
- Understand your people and care for them
- Empower and develop each individual's potential
- Make solid decisions in a timely manner
- Team-build, keep them challenged and engaged
- Communicate effectively
There are many qualities, traits and actions that must come together in a person to make them a good leader, accountability, ability to detach, overcoming fear just to name a few, but the list above are core elements that everything else falls under.
Unfortunately, leadership is often abused.
Sometimes people who are not cut out to lead find their way into positions of leadership (they often call it, power) for the wrong reasons. There's often mechanisms in place to weed them out, especially in the military, but some invariably slip through.
In the military, there's a chain of command and personnel are trained to execute orders that come down that chain, unless those orders contravene established laws. It's a simple concept and because lives depend on it the training revolves around ensuring that chain of command is respected and orders are carried out. This, unfortunately, can attract power-hungry people who are seeking to be obeyed and those power-trippers get off on it. They rarely make good leaders though, and most often will not rise in rank as their career progresses, or be weeded out completely; sadly, lives are usually the collateral damage of leaders like that. Should those egotistical (often abusive) people have grasped and embraced those ten points above, they would have become better leaders.
Moving away from the military example though, I believe those ten items above are pivotal to success for all of us in dealing with other people whether it's family, the workplace, social, sporting environments and the general population.
Imagine for a moment that a parent was to apply each when raising (leading) their children. If you're a parent, look at that list...can you see how each may positively influence the growth, development and progression of a child to adulthood? I'm not a parent, but I know it would! Ok, maybe some of those aspects would be applied differently than they would in the military, but the principles are the same and I think good results would ensue.
Leadership is something we must all accept at some point in life; the way it happens may be different for us all, but it's going to be part of life no matter what.
You may lead people, or may follow a leader, it could be a little of both, but whatever the situation, you will be exposed to leadership. I think it's best to know something about it for that reason. Some will never lead men into battle, or lead a team in a corporate environment or even be a parent with children to lead like me...but all of us will have the chance to demonstrate leadership qualities at some stage, in some way, shape or form and for that reason I believe it's valid and valuable to know how to do it more effectively.
I'd like to hear about your experiences if you care to share some.
Are you a leader and have you applied those ten items above? Have you followed a bad leader and if so how did it go? Do you have any thoughts on those points, can you see how they may apply to raising children, being a better adult, partner, colleague, friend or member of the human race? Maybe you're a bad leader, if so why? Feel free to comment as you like. I always respond.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp
[All original and proudly AI free.]
Any images in this post are my own.
I have been a leader most of my adult life in one form or another. In the military and in my parenting life. The ten items above are very similar to the 11 Leadership Principles of the U.S. Marine Corps, so yes they have been applied most of my life.
I have had bad leaders, it was horrible for morale and brought down the entire organization, When I was first put in a leadership position I was a bad leader as I had an ego, but quickly was taken under the wing of others. There have been times when I have "shit in my mess kit" and violated one of those principles, but the key is to learn from those times and fix yourself.
All of the leadership principles helped make me a better adult, parent, husband, and a friend through most of my life. Regretfully once I got real sick, I lost sight of those prinicples and especially after I medically retired. Whether I knew it or not, they are key part of what is helping me build myself back up again now. They are as much a part of me as my breathing, and somewhere along the line I lost track of that.
As far as me being a bad leader, I am sure there may be a person or two that might say that, I am not arrogant anough to say I am not, or no one would ever say I am not. I do know that I have had people that I have served with that have contacted and told me they appreciate me well after serving with me in a leaderhip position over them.
I thought you'd relate if you saw this post. Most militaries in the world apply similar principles to training officers and NCO's and there's good reason for it. Of course, there's many other elements as well.
Having an ego isn't conducive to being a good leader as you found out, but I think you managed to find different paths to walk thanks to the right direction from others and whilst we can regress, knowing when we do and checking ourselves is the key as you rightly point out. It's that, which leads to people thanking you for being their leader, the ability to have accountability and to seek to improve personally.
It's good to hear you're defaulting back to the principles to rebuild now and with them you'll do it more effectively. It won't be easy, but being a leader never is whether it's leading others or oneself.
Yes, I have always been my biggest leadership challenge :-)
Being someone that has the experience, education, and is a lifelong student of leadership and managemenet, I should probably write more about it. I may one day.
You'll write about it when it feels right, I'm sure you'll have plenty to say and backed up with real-world experiences. It'll be interesting.
It's only been a few years that I have actually had a leadership role in my job. For the longest time I was a one man show and everything was up to me to get taken care of. Now that I have a worker, I have been doing my best to ensure that I am helping him grow and learn. I don't think I am that great of a leader, but he might argue differently. I'm going to tuck these tips away though to review in the future. I think they could be beneficial for me.
It's important to self-check meaning understand what one does well or badly and make adjustments. (Point one)
If you are doing that then the rest can roll out from there. Not doing that is one of the biggest mistakes leaders make and it often comes from ego and hubris. You're helping the chap grow, develop and learn so it seems you're a giving leader which is good.
You don't need to be a great leader, just an effective one, and the greatness starts from there. I'm glad you like the points I raised and that they may come in handy, I was certain some would feel that way.
Like I said, I am probably harder on myself than he is. He has stated in the past I am kind of a father figure to him.
I'm sure you do a good job and with comments like that, you should be too.
Reading your publication reminded me of so much of what I experienced.
I taught computer classes for 12 years to older adults, mostly retired, on a private basis. Sometimes I didn't have timetables available, as I had a quota covered and even a waiting list. They would tell me: I want you to explain it to me, not someone else.
It was a very nice stage of my life, you learn so much from older people and I love to learn and challenge myself, to improve every day.
And then, as I told you, I worked as a salesperson, but I managed to become a team supervisor. It is not easy to lead a team, most of them are very young, between 17 and 30 years old. And I did it, I got better every day a little bit more.
The principles are impeccable, I think the same. They are fundamental to exercise leadership and always stay on track without deviating.
I loved the topic Galenkp, thank you for this! And for teaching me.✨
Leading a team is difficult for many reasons. Personalities get in the way, egos, greed and selfishness...many things. But the leader is there to bring it all together and if they cannot, they shouldn't be there. Unfortunately, there's bad leaders out there and people have to deal with it, a fact of life.
It seems that you have some talent for it, based on what you say, and that's good. Are you still in a position of leadership?
It is true that there are many different personalities, beliefs and experiences. To make everything compatible is complicated, but not impossible.
Today I lead myself. 😀
Family pizza day... I'm off to lunch!
Nice evening!
Greetings! very interesting topic, it is something that inevitably at some point we have to be or be led by someone. In academic fields I have been a leader and I do not think I have done the 10 elements that you mention, because it was at certain times, it was circumstantial.
I have also followed leaders who go without a clear objective, it has been very frustrating because when there is a failure, the responsibility falls on the subordinate (that would be me).
Leaders without an objective are simply people, not leaders. I'm not sure how someone could call themselves a leader and still have no objective, how would that person motivate the team?
Right team, now we're going to pool our resources and collective skills and abilities and we're going to work towards nothing.
That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Although, it leaves room for someone else to step up and be the leader.
The leader without a clear objective is in the workplace, in my case I have to follow guidelines and the possibility of having a new one is difficult.
Hmm, ok well that's a bad leader and one whose team may struggle to respect and it'll likely cause the team to function at less than optimal. I wonder if the company know the leader is aimless? I hope this resolves itself as working under a directionless leader can be very difficult.
Ugh, bad leaders are the reason I don't believe in office jobs anymore. People get to abuse their power by the "we are a family" statement. And I know there's a psychological effect in that phrase, but wow! I've seen too many people exploiting the willingness some others have to do work and cope with harsh situations.
About following the principles, I think yes, but would need some feedback from those I had lead over the years in different situations.
Totally agree on the fact that we are exposed to the idea of leadership in life. We can't escape it and if we do, well, it isn't pretty. It means one doesn't have to live of their terms. Tough call right there.
Having to deal with bad leaders is a fact if life, unavoidable. Developing a bad attitude because of it often happens, but moving away from a good attitude will limit progression and so I work around doing that as all it does is inhibit myself. There's better ways to deal with bad leaders. Also, a good leader will listen to the team and adjust if required, rather then persist with actions that destroy the team. That's point one.
Leaders say a lot of things, but for a good leader, a lot happens before all that talking to make it relatable and to cause the team to listen and embrace what is being said. Simply saying something doesn't make it so.
You mention feedback. That's point five and is very important, but must happen in the right way and at the right time and to a degree that the team (or individual) can relate to. Not all team members need all the information, it can be overwhelming and can split focus. There's exemptions to that of course.
Anyway, thanks for your comment.
It was a very interesting read. Of course, you far more experience than I on the topic.
Those ten point are very nice way to keep yourself focused on leading properly.
Thanks. They form the foundation for the other elements of leadership to be built upon and are used, in some manner, by militaries around the world to create leaders. It will work for everyone though.
It's nice to learn about these topics.
What I like about you is that you seem to be open to things, have an open mind, which I believe is not always the case in younger people.
Hey, minds are like parachutes. They only work when they're open. Besides, I've seen a lot of bad leadership in this country. Things need a turn for better.
Strangely, I have always found myself in the leadership act. And, I have always done my best to act.
Looking at the list aforementioned, I can proudly say I have followed and still following each of them to a tee.
Communication is what I love doing and listening is what I love doing most. I have seen and learned from great leaders because I saw those qualities in them.
Apart from soldiers, politicians, Ambassadors, and whatever name they've conjoined up to call themselves are "doom" leaders. And Nigeria's politics is sadly a beautiful ugly example of that.
Following the list above will help a person be better generally and a better leader of people. Without those elements a person isn't doing leadership right.
Communication and listening are important elements of leadership (and relationships generally) so if you do that then you're going ok.
Yes, the unavailability of those elements means, "Job not well done".
Relationship matters. It helps with bonding.
Unfortunately leadership can be a lonely job; there needs to be a line between leader and those in subordinate roles. The reasons are obvious, but that doesn't mean a leader doesn't have to be personable and you say it rightly, relationships matter.
Also, thank you for the upvote. ☺☺
You're welcome.
No one came to this world with leadership qualities but the family background plays a very important role to make a leader.
Sometimes situations create leaders means to bring the best output from a person.
I was never a leader but maintaining everything isn't easy for a leader. So, I will take the position of a leader if it became necessary otherwise not.
Leaders are created, however some take to it better than others. Good training and discipline helps that to happen and those that aren't cut out for it do a bad job, with repercussions usually.
Leadership is not a title but a responsibility.
As a leader, you have to care for all your followers and relate with them according to their level of understanding but have the same level of love for all of them
Build up the mentality of relating with each of them according to their level of understanding but don't expect the same attitude, character, understanding, suggestion, or opinion from every one of them.
Remember you as a leader must have another leader that is superior to you.
I realized that many of these superiors were not always happy seeing your progress because they thought as you are growing, you are getting closer to them and if care is not taking you will surpass them.
I agree with you however the title is carried by many who do not deserve it and show no responsibility for it.
You've done a reasonable job at paraphrasing my post.
Thanks you @galenkp
@galenkp Greetings.
Hi there, what's up?
I need only 2 hive, to make the ignition. I pass you hbd and you give me hive? If you can
Here's a small gift to say thanks for supporting the #weekend-engagement concept. 😊
I actually don't know what this means.
That it is to make the ignition. I wrote it in Spanish?
I don't know what make the ignition means.
"Power up my hive". Give "power up"? I think that's the right phrase
No, how do you think?
In a while I will delete the messages so that they are not out of place.
Very beautiful writing. Thanks for those ten information.
No worries.
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