TWO THINGS ABOUT LEADERSHIP THAT MOST DON’T GET

On so many occasions in the course of my life coaching mission, I have come across many people who ask the question 'what are the most important characters of effective leaders. here are two of what I consider most important lessons that any leader should learn from.

a)       Leave your Ego at home

So I am leaving home at 7 am. I am already late for office. I say goodbye to family but Adrian, my one-year-old son won’t hear any of that. He starts to cry. He wants to tag along…and I think to myself; “If only he could take of himself”…you see. I do not like seeing him cry so helplessly. Unfortunately, I have to leave him behind……if only I could do something about it. As I walk away, I get an idea. Just the other day a friend of mine was whining about a boss of hers who won’t let her take credit for her work. Bad boss yea?.....that’s beside the point.  She has a problem that I think if she can figure it out she will be a happy woman. Her Ego! Your ego is like your one-year-old who is crying to accompany you to work. You know what an inconvenience he might just turn out to be. So you leave him behind despite the crying. Just do a good job and let it not bother you who takes credit for it. If your work is amazing, then you are amazing and what humans say or do afterwards may not be important. Do not seek to be applauded and praised just do a good job. If you meet someone leave them better than you found them.

b)       It’s the best team of players that win the game not a team of best players.

My friend Joseph and I are having a heated debate about why England never wins world cup. He thinks that it’s a team made up of some of the best players in the world and it should definitely win. I am giving the argument and he thinks I agree with him. But that is not the case….I am thinking…...that might be the very reason they do not win the cup. Forget your title and academic achievement. Real power lies in empowering others. In fact, someone once said, ”if you want power, give it away” let everyone around you feel that they have a shared responsibility towards achieving a goal. True leaders know how to play this card well. Do not use your power and position to make people listen to you. Spread the passion. Give them reasons to climb up with you. Treat people with rare respect and give them an opportunity to shine grow and lead. Treat them well and they will treat you well. Do not seek to be the best leader, just coordinate the best team.