I waved goodbye as the station wagon rolled down the street. In it were my
parents and brother. Moments earlier, I had said goodbye and assured my mother
I would be just fine. She said, “ Remember, call us whenever you want, we’ll help
you as best we can, but you’re on your own now”.
That’s how it
went on my first day of college, seven hundred miles from home. I was on my own
to get through the academic demands of four years of college. I’d been challenged
to lead myself on a new path.
I am reminded of that line, “You are on
your own now”, and the feeling of being distant from others as I talk to people
about leadership. Being a leader is usually a skill that comes from necessity.
Few people wake up in the morning and say to themselves in a moment of whimsy,
“Today, I think I will become a leader, just for the fun of it.”
Becoming
a leader is most often a result of the creation of a situation. A sudden departure
or death of an existing leader, a promotion to a new job, or the start of your
own business are all situations where new leadership skills have to be found because
“you are on your own.”
Warren Bennis, author of “On Becoming A Leader”,
writes “Leaders Invent Themselves.”
The idea that leaders invent themselves
is credible when you take into consideration the virtues that are the make-up
of good leaders. People who possess these values evolve into leaders when they
are confronted in a situation where they “are on their own.”
- Vision-Leaders
have the ability to see what no one else can see. They can get past history and
the present and imagine what the future could be shaped to look like.
- Desire-Leaders
have a persistent hunger to learn. and grow.
- Risk Tolerance-Those
who lead understand risk but understand also that challenging the norm is necessary
for progress.
- Integrity-Followers know who the leader is and what
he stands for in all situations.
- Passion-Leaders have the emotional
fire and commitment to inspire others to follow.
These virtues
contribute to forming a reputation for good leadership as your leadership style
qualities develop.
Good Leaders:
- Listen
- Don’t blurt
out the solution. Instead they let the subordinate develop solutions to the problem
- Say
things calmly and constructively
- Judge their own success by their team’s
success.
When
the situation appears and you are called upon to perform as a leader in your business
or organization, your belief system will be the framework of your leadership skills.
The process of becoming a leader starts with the conscious decision to
lead. After having made that decision, take pride in your courage and independence,
because from here forward, you are on your own.
Leading
your support team is one of the eight key strategies I train, consult and coach
my clients about. Would you like to know more about how to create more profit
in less time? click
here
