Effective leadership
THE definition of leadership probably started evolving from the day the first human decided to take the risk of picking up some fire and keep it going in their cave despite others being afraid of the very idea.
Everybody has their own idea of what leadership means and entails.
Often leadership is associated with one of two things – both of which we want to think beyond today.
Someone who steps up during the time of crisis is often looked upon as a leader.
Someone who assumes the persona of a person with power and subjugates everyone else’s opinion is also commonly mistaken for a leader.
The kind of leadership that will produce great results in your business or your life is neither one of these.
A person who steps up in the time of crisis is an incidental leader.
They may or may not resolve the crisis favourably, but are labelled as a leader because no one stepped up to the task at the time.
In a business sense such an opportunity occurs as a result of numerous failures.
Planning entails evaluating all risks, and coming up with contingency plans to manage any risks that may emerge.
Management entails having systems, protocols and resources in place that will take care of extraordinary circumstances.
And leadership entails developing qualities and capabilities in the team so that any member of the team can take care of the situation.
When all of these fail, we look for incidental leaders.
Point to be noted is that every company or organisation has strata defining the boundaries of responsibility and authority, and there is a hierarchy that is inherent in the structure of the organisation to which the strata belong.
However, within the confines of each strata the execution of leadership should be an equal opportunity attribute for all members of the team, rather than a pointer to a specific person.
So, the idea is to strengthen the systems, develop capacity, and build trust at each level of the company to avoid any vacuum from developing that would result in needing incidental leadership.
The second type of leader is the one that feels it necessary to declare, “I am your leader”.
Usually this person projects themselves as the sole holder of power or the only one with all the solutions or the voice and authority that you must fear.
This person is more of a destructive force in your organisation than any good they can do for the organisation.
A crisis is a “fast burn” where an incidental leader takes actions in the best interest of the organisation with varied degrees of success.
This second type of leader creates a “slow burn” whereby you get used to the smoke without seeing the fire.
The result is that the organisation is depleted of all initiative, enthusiasm, and even capacity at all levels because the entire organisation is made dependent on one person and one person only.
If in an organisation you ever hear a person say, “I have spoken and that is the end of the discussion”, it is a clear indication of that organisation undergoing a slow burn.
Whether you are looking at developing leadership qualities within yourself, looking at professional development of employees, or are at a position in the organisation where you can significantly influence how leadership is approached and accepted in the organisation, following are some common fundamentals presented below for your consideration:
■ Leadership is based on trust, not fear. Leadership is at all levels, not just at the top. Leadership is entrenched in common purpose. Leadership is based on listening to all voices before making a decision.
■ Leadership is in building systems that support and sustain decisions and actions. Leadership is in sharing responsibility, authority and opportunity. Leadership is in knowing yourself and your team well.
■ Leadership is in building awareness about the organisational environment and not hiding it from others. Leadership is not in looking at one person for all answers, but engaging talent.
As we progress in this series, we will talk about various categorisations of leaders, the relationship between risk and leadership, and organisational structures (not just training) that enhances leadership at all levels resulting in a robust and resilient organisation capable of withstanding any burn.
It is said that “Managers are developed and leaders are born”.
Perhaps! Maybe not! Humans are a very capable species.
We have seen it in so many instances that even when we are born without certain capabilities, we rise to the challenge and exceed all limitations.
Surely congenital leadership limitations can also be challenged.
Take this opportunity to have an honest conversation with yourself as to what kind of leader are you, at home, at work, in your community, and the world.
Write it down someplace. We will revisit this topic.
■ Dr Dilawar Grewal leads Augeo Asia Pacific, a Fiji based company that partners with organizations to connect the dots between strategic planning, operational planning, business process optimisation, and performance management. Dr. Grewal is a strategic thinker and planner, and is skilled at creating pathways to organizational successes for the public and private sectors in the Pacific. He and his wife, Amerika Garcia Grewal, live in Nasese. For more information or to discuss solutions in more depth, please contact Dr. Grewal at AugeoAP@AugeoAP.com or visit AugeoAP.com