Softer side of Leadership

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

1595

Abstract

You cannot be a leader without growing yourself first. You grow by being a student forever. Without being special within — one would be like a beautifully decorated easter egg that is empty inside. And sooner or later one would be found out.</p><h1 id="baff">Empathy</h1><p id="7fe0">One of the greatest sportsman of my home country was the worst captain because he could not understand why everyone could not play the way he did, or have the same strive for excellence as he had/. Empathy would give the leader insights into another’s motives and motivations, strengths and situations, concerns and frustrations. Once you see from their eyes, you can see how your vision appears to them. And in turn that gives you a model to take everyone with you in your journey and make it their journey.</p><h1 id="6e67">Empowerment</h1><p id="f7f8">“Great Leaders create Leaders.” Identifying, and developing leaders gives you the power of multiplication. In a paradoxical way, great leaders create an organization that makes themselves redundant by creating a self-sustaining organization that is led from within. In a selfish way, that allows the leader to grow beyond the organization she build.</p><h1 id="1888">Integrity</h1><p id="2e46">Being honest and true is really the most simple way to lead. The authenticity it brings allows you the freedom to do the right thing. Integrity, then, is the single quality that will win the trust and respect of those you lead. It will show up when you give credit for successes and take accountability for the failures of the organization. It will encourage tr

Options

ansparency that will take away the wasteful energy of having to dance around the issue and focus on the way forward. It removes the fear of scapegoating and frees the organization to resonate your truth.</p><h1 id="f86b">Focus</h1><p id="285c">A great leader stays focussed on the cause, and the outcome that she envisioned. You will break through the hurdles and avoid being distracted by emotions, politics and bureaucratic process. Your focus will concentrate your energy on the “big rocks” and avoid the dissipation of your effort on less-impactful activities. It will also give you the clarity to drive the organization to its desired objectives and outcomes</p><h1 id="3b88">Joy</h1><p id="ac00">In the end leadership should be something you enjoy. And with that you truly start sharing in the joys of the ones you lead. And most of all the happiness within clears the path of becoming a successful leader outside. When you are secure within, you will start enjoying the growth and success of the ones you lead — to see them strive towards their potential will be your reward. Their victories give you same joy as your own. But most of all your inner joy will make the external successes or failures just milestones in your leadership journey and your organization will reflect your optimism.</p><p id="8c3c">Finally, the above are qualities of the leaders I admire, and the leader I always want to be #HowILead. But you, may want to listen to a different song and tap to some other rhythm. And when you do find your music, I will be happy to join the chorus. Promise.</p></article></body>

Softer side of Leadership

At a mentoring session of smart college entrepreneurs, the conversation moved to the topic of great leadership and #HowILead. While there are well documented marquee qualities -like ability to inspire, vision, passion, and ambition — that contribute to being a good leader, there are other qualities that are more organic and as critical, and over an extended period of time, essential to achieving greatness in leadership.

When one observes evolution of leaders in multiple context of geography, culture, health of the economy, stage of a company and in periods of flux and steady growth — we discover that there are many traits that sometimes get lost in the more flashy aspects of leadership. This article attempts to point the torchlight — softly — on these nuances of leadership.

Awareness

Awareness of the self — including knowing your strengths and limitations. Awareness of the organization direction, of the situation, of the personalities, of the desired outcome. Awareness of the team you inherit and the team you want to build. Self-awareness and external awareness is the most critical aspect of good living, and great leadership.

Substance

Once you are aware, you can start building substance within. You develop your strengths, address your weakness, and know your limitations. You cannot be a leader without growing yourself first. You grow by being a student forever. Without being special within — one would be like a beautifully decorated easter egg that is empty inside. And sooner or later one would be found out.

Empathy

One of the greatest sportsman of my home country was the worst captain because he could not understand why everyone could not play the way he did, or have the same strive for excellence as he had/. Empathy would give the leader insights into another’s motives and motivations, strengths and situations, concerns and frustrations. Once you see from their eyes, you can see how your vision appears to them. And in turn that gives you a model to take everyone with you in your journey and make it their journey.

Empowerment

“Great Leaders create Leaders.” Identifying, and developing leaders gives you the power of multiplication. In a paradoxical way, great leaders create an organization that makes themselves redundant by creating a self-sustaining organization that is led from within. In a selfish way, that allows the leader to grow beyond the organization she build.

Integrity

Being honest and true is really the most simple way to lead. The authenticity it brings allows you the freedom to do the right thing. Integrity, then, is the single quality that will win the trust and respect of those you lead. It will show up when you give credit for successes and take accountability for the failures of the organization. It will encourage transparency that will take away the wasteful energy of having to dance around the issue and focus on the way forward. It removes the fear of scapegoating and frees the organization to resonate your truth.

Focus

A great leader stays focussed on the cause, and the outcome that she envisioned. You will break through the hurdles and avoid being distracted by emotions, politics and bureaucratic process. Your focus will concentrate your energy on the “big rocks” and avoid the dissipation of your effort on less-impactful activities. It will also give you the clarity to drive the organization to its desired objectives and outcomes

Joy

In the end leadership should be something you enjoy. And with that you truly start sharing in the joys of the ones you lead. And most of all the happiness within clears the path of becoming a successful leader outside. When you are secure within, you will start enjoying the growth and success of the ones you lead — to see them strive towards their potential will be your reward. Their victories give you same joy as your own. But most of all your inner joy will make the external successes or failures just milestones in your leadership journey and your organization will reflect your optimism.

Finally, the above are qualities of the leaders I admire, and the leader I always want to be #HowILead. But you, may want to listen to a different song and tap to some other rhythm. And when you do find your music, I will be happy to join the chorus. Promise.