There are probably as many quotes, hints, directions, or steps focused on being a good leader as there are stars in the universe. Books have been written, seminars are booked and filled, speakers are paid — all to tell you what it means to be a good leader and how to get there.
So what, you ask, does this No Name former retail manager have to add to the dung pile? Not much really. It’s all been said. I’d rather tell you what a leader is not.
A leader is not someone who only accomplishes his goals through fear. Yes, you might feel the military would argue with this statement to an extent, but honestly, military trainers are trying to accomplish something greater than the leader of a business. They are trying to instill instincts that will keep that person alive. They are enhancing human response in a way that the soldier will be able to handle life and death situations. They are trying to weed out the weak, and they have a captive audience.
As a business leader, you want your people to be prepared for anything, but you aren’t trying to run them off in the process. Fear, scare tactics, threats, pushing, prodding, and pressuring may get the job accomplished, but it won’t build a positive workforce. Those people may very well do what they are told, but will they learn to work on their own? Will they feel empowered to care for your customers they way you would? Will they enjoy what they are doing? Will they feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day?
Leadership is also not pulling your people up the hill. If you have to do all the work to get your folks up the mountain, then you aren’t leading. Have you ever heard someone say, “That person is a “great worker bee, but they’ll never be the queen?” A leader shouldn’t have to pull their people any more than they should have to push their people.
Leadership is not making yourself seem more important by holding on to information that could advance success. A leader teaches. A leader provides an example. A leader creates an environment where people want to accomplish. A leader leads and then they get out of the way and they let their people blossom. A leader who is not developing leaders, is not a leader.
Anyone can be a boss. Just put on your bossy pants and start telling people what to do — some will listen, some may be scared to ignore you, some will walk away from you, but at the end of the day, you are only succeeding in accomplishing the tasks that you are assigning. A leader looks further into the future. A leader can see people who are brave enough, well-trained enough, and empowered enough to move beyond what he/she sees and accomplishes so much more.
I mentioned books before. I have a favorite leadership book. I’m not saying it’s the best leadership book. Some people might consider it a little silly, but at the time I read it, it opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking. It’s called ZAPP! It’s about empowerment. Neither ZAPP! nor the book’s publisher happen to be one of my advertisers, but Amazon is and it is available there if you want to check it out. I know, I know. A lot has been said and done since ZAPP! came out, but the ideas it seeks to suggest are still material.
I believe strongly in empowerment. We’re not talking about giving up your own responsibilities. We are talking about developing people who are confident and knowledgeable; allowing your people to accomplish what they can without having you there to constantly tell them what to do.
Let me tell you, when you can leave work for a week of vacation with the complete knowledge that things will run just as smoothly as if you were there, that’s a huge load off. You might actually enjoy that vacation instead of worrying about what you’ll find when you return. I’ve seen so many supervisors who hold on to information like it is the only job security they have. They unknowingly sabotage themselves by keeping their people in the dark.
The power of Empowerment is like a lightening rod to leadership. Once you understand how much you can accomplish by believing in the people you are training and leading, its crazy. You’ll find things getting done at a pace you never expected and you’ll find the attitude with which those people work has changed completely. People want to work for a leader; they work for a boss because they have no other choice.
So yeah. There’s my two cents and there’s no charge, no conference to attend, and no quotes to remember. There also won’t be a quiz at the end of the session.
