"Insist on yourself; never imitate... Every great man is
unique."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
At the beginning of each of my Transformations in Leadership workshops, I ask participants to think of a leader that they admire and would like to emulate.
Each participant then shares with the group what it is about the chosen leader that makes him or her stand out. The interesting thing about the ensuing discussion is that these qualities are almost never about what leaders do, but rather WHO THEY ARE.
Some of the descriptions that repeatedly top the lists include “honest,” “authentic,” “sees the best in others and believes in them,” “has vision,” “inspires trust,” “communicates directly,” “not afraid to make mistakes,” “humble,” “connects with people, regardless of title or position,” “walks their talk,” “builds a strong team,” “develops others,” “shares credit,” and the list goes on.
I began my career teaching people classes on how to lead – on subjects like how to create and communicate a compelling vision, how to delegate, set goals, provide performance feedback, resolve conflict, etc.
What I have realized over the years is that the extraordinary leaders are not necessarily the ones who have mastered all these techniques. They are the ones who have the ability to speak to our hearts as well as our minds, and to awaken something in their people that lies dormant, waiting to emerge. They then nurture and focus it into the creation of something that makes the organization (or the world) a better place for everyone.
Great leaders learn to do this by first doing it for themselves. The rest they pick up along the way.
Stay tuned for part II of The Who of a Leader in my next blog…
Unleash the Extraordinary!
Diane Bolden
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Comments (1)
I really enjoyed this post, especially your opening quote. The worst thing I think a leader can do is not be genuine. When leaders imitate or fake sincerity they are not being genuine and few things will bring quicker ruin than this. Respect from others is lost and others will be closed to you. You may find this blog on leadership strategy insightful and interesting.
Posted by Jeffrey on August 25, 2007 3:06 PM