Egg leadership
NO ONE will be beautiful without experiencing brokenness. I heard this from the sharing of DepEd Regional Director (RD) Allan G. Farnazo when he talked about egg leadership.
I have read leadership books authored by the famous John Maxwell, Steven Covey, and John Kotter, but the egg leadership of RD Farnazo is as rare as a hen’s teeth. Like an egg, the leadership role, he said, is fragile. We take care of the eggs so as not to break them, so we hold them well. Not tight. Not too loose. Just enough to keep them safe. In the same way, this is how leaders earn the trust of the people.
Great leaders do not push the team members too hard to break them. They also do not leave them to perform with mediocrity.
The leaders have to maintain credibility by demonstrating the values and behaviors they expect from their team. Reliability builds trust. Building personal connections and ensuring the team has the necessary support and resources strengthen trust.
A good leader listens to the team and understands the brokenness or struggles of each one. Struggles, however, develop our strength to face difficulties. Nothing strengthens better than struggles.
In the True North book, Bill George said it’s not about being the most talented or charming person in the boardroom; it’s about being true to yourself and staying focused on your core priorities and values, which he calls your unique “True North”.
Before you become an authentic leader, you know your deeply held beliefs, values, and principles and what inspires you. Until you define your true north, you will not know your purpose.
True North leaders practice 3 Ts: Truth, Transparency, and Trust.
Leadership is not just about demonstrating competence; it is also about recognizing and cultivating potential in the team. Leaders spot signs of improvement. Their purpose is not to create followers but to develop leaders.
Eggs have a thin shell that easily cracks if not properly handled. It is delicate, and so is trust. Like eggs, if trust is not earned or lost, a crack appears and will never be completely repaired.
Earning trust is what makes a leader a good and effective leader.
RD Farnazo is an example of egg leadership. He shared he had been broken many times, but he emerged a better person every day in his brokenness.
Our brokenness is not a deterrent to God’s purpose. It will lead us to our self-discovery. We recognize our vulnerabilities and strengths. We crack or break to grow.
Like a hen that carefully turns each of her eggs to maintain the proper temperature, moisture, ventilation, and humidity during the three-week incubation period, so are true leaders who prepare and develop the team to become leaders, too.
RD Farnazo is developing more leaders. He earns the trust of others because of his consistent actions, transparent communication, and genuine relationships with people.
When there are more leaders like RD Farnazo, the organization succeeds.