How many times is there someone featured on the news who has assumed a role of power and he or she soaks up the accolades? It really makes me wonder: Is there some disconnect from what leaders have in mind for themselves and their actual job descriptions?
Unfortunately, too many people just do not get it. Believe it or not, being a leader is not about claiming center stage and basking in the glory of a captive audience. In recent weeks, I’ve had to burst a few bubbles and remind some folks that “it’s really not about you!”
That got me wondering…Maybe if people who assume leadership roles could get the framework for the scope of duties. Maybe if there were some suggested considerations for what leadership is really about…Well, here goes.
1. Serve First – Maintain a commitment to foster the development of others. Seek opportunities to really give back and help others achieve their goals.
2. Follower Perspectives – If leaders take the time to think about those they are leading, their interests, and why they are serving then they really take on a role of thinking from other’s perspective. In that way, leaders can take into consideration their thoughts when making a decision.
3. Motivate Others – What can leaders do to get others to follow? What strategies might be best for encouraging involvement? I believe we can tap into the inner potential of others and really encourage them along their journey.
4. Think in Circles – Get beyond the box mentality and think in circles. Be creative!
5. Pass it Along – How can leaders capstone their leadership roles with some assessment or recap? How can they, in turn, pass along the good, bad, and ugly to the next person?
In Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success, seven principles for successful leadership are outlined. With these and just a few simple steps, hopefully leaders will discover the big picture and that it really is about more than themselves.
-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
