Leading hands
ON Monday night I had the pleasure of welcoming 12 fantastic local young people to City Hall for their induction as our first youth councillors.
As representatives of their friends and peers, they’re each now leaders in our community.
I’ve found during my time on council that this is a great challenge — one that will at times be very rewarding, and at others quite difficult and frustrating.
Speaking to the group, I passed on some of my observations about leadership as they begin what will hopefully be a long journey for them all as leaders in Geelong and beyond.
When we think of leaders, often we think first of the great public speakers.
But to me, one of the most important traits of any leader is the ability to listen, not just to hear, but to actively listen and process the information.
It’s an old saying but a good one: you don’t learn anything while you’re talking. In every room you’re in, there will be someone who knows something you don’t.
So gather all of the information you can, weigh opposing views against one another, and decide what you think is the best approach.
Once you’ve made an informed decision based on all available evidence and the advice of people you trust, have the confidence to stand by your call.
Plan your path forward carefully, and communicate your reasoning clearly every step of the way.
You’ll have far greater chance of success if you bring the community along on the journey with you.
Understand that it’s likely far more people will criticise than will pat you on the back. You’ll never please everyone, and the fact is some people really don’t want to be pleased — they appear to enjoy living in a personally offended state.
It’s sometimes worth listening to these critics and evaluating if what they’re saying has merit. If they’re just plain wrong, respond in a measured way with facts. There’s nothing to be gained from biting back with personal attacks or vitriol — this will only spur detractors on.
Through all of this, it’s vital to remain positive and remember the sound reasoning you used to arrive at your decision in the first place.
In any leadership position, progress and change will rarely come easily. Most ideas will face obstacles — whether it’s a lack of funding, lack of understanding from others, or opposition from pockets of society.
Ultimately though, if it’s good for the community as a whole, it’s worth pursuing.
You won’t always succeed, but if you persevere, at least you’ll show you’re prepared to have a crack.
Even the very best leaders fail from time to time. If something goes wrong, take responsibility — even if it’s not entirely your fault. You’ll gain far more respect by doing this than by looking to shift the blame or making excuses.
Acknowledge the failure, explain why you think it happened, and what steps you’re taking to be better next time.
On the flipside, when a project you’ve led proves a huge success, share the credit with your colleagues and everyone who played a part.
If you’ve done an amazing job, let others point it out. And if credit doesn’t come your way when it should, you can console yourself with the knowledge you’ve made a difference — which hopefully is the reason you signed on for the gig in the first place.
I left our youth councillors with one final piece of advice: be yourselves. You’ve been elected to your positions because people respect the way you think and behave already. There’s no need to change just because you now have a title.
While it’s important to act in a professional manner, don’t hide your emotions all the time. You are what you are, and people will appreciate seeing the real side of you.
Putting these thoughts on paper was an excellent reminder to myself about how I can perform most effectively as the mayor of our great city.
We have a huge year ahead, and I’m enthusiastic about tackling some important issues alongside my fellow councillors.
Likewise, I hope it also gave our youth councillors some small insight as they begin their work together. I look forward to receiving their recommendations about how we can make Greater Geelong a better place for our young people. Bruce Harwood is the Geelong Mayor.