Have you ever searched for the topic of "leadership" in business books on Amazon? Would it surprise you to know there are more than 60,000 titles on the matter? Why does the "self-help" section of your favorite book store have such a vast selection of books to guide you in working on yourself? If anyone were reading all these books and applying their new found knowledge, we'd have a #banger corporate world chocked full of managers crushing the game.
I'm going to start out by saying, very distinctly, I am not the world's best boss, far from it. But, I am no different than the best or worst boss you've ever had… and neither are you. Here's why: People generally suck at leading others or even making solid decisions for themselves. First, think of all the taskmasters and flat-out shitty managers you've faced throughout your career. Now compare the number of these individuals to the number of inspiring influential leaders you've encountered. Unfortunately, I believe for many of us, we've crossed more paths with the former.
As I progress in my journey of managing teams or even raising my own small children, one of the most gripping notions that I've picked up on is the desire for these adults and "miniature adults" to demand the same human concepts that most of us want from our supervisors. Humans feel most comfortable in knowing several fundamental pillars of leadership.
We want #autonomy (my 4yr old more than most).
Your team members want well-defined #boundaries so they can test out that autonomy and understand precisely how far it goes. As they mature, so do these boundaries and levels of autonomous activity.
Individuals must be given #responsibility, which is fundamental to using that autonomy in making decisions and encountering associated consequences or rewards.
Strong leaders display #empathy and understanding that what is important to one is worthy of being important to others.
There must be a de facto leader who not only has the #competence to set a clear and attainable vision but also has the #courage to execute on the goals and actions required to turn that vision into a reality (this often leads to power struggles, and leaders can change, which is entirely natural, but out of scope for this article).
These "pillars" do not require training courses or inherent philosophy shifts (although learning more about great leadership is a solid plan). The truth is, so many of us get caught up in the whirlwind and quickly lose sight of how influential we can be to those around us by simply acknowledging the straightforward concepts described and applying them at every opportunity. Start by making a habit of letting this become your management style. Before long, your team will pick up on your new skills and begin adopting pieces of them as their own leadership style. Boom! Just like that, you're building future leaders and establishing yourself as a memorable and inspiring leader who is on their way to crushing the game.