A mistake many leaders make is the self imposed responsibility to have
all the answers. This is just not true. It is okay to admit to not having
all the answers. Good leaders are willing to show their imperfections.
Surround yourself with a solid executive team and you don't need all the
answers. No one expects perfection, just leadership. Being President
doesn't grant you supreme knowledge.
The Ego Factor Stagnant growth, lost market share and panic response
management are more likely to occur if strategic growth objectives are Ego
driven vs. Profit driven which often leads to putting personal needs ahead
of business needs. This is a common symptom of the lack of leadership in
the organization. Leadership is quite different then management. Steve
Kaufman in his DREF interview, NAW's leadership series (2003), stated that
he did not invent the phrase "Servant Leadership" but he leans heavily
toward that methodology. The academics tell us a leaders role is to serve
those people that report to him. He or She is not a dictator but their
ultimate role is to serve, to allow those people to achieve their goals.
It's a style that starts by asking; What do you want to accomplish rather
than telling them what you want to accomplish." I would say that the
servant leadership model is the one that I like to talk about. I like to
talk about the most effective leaders being those that have volunteer
followers not those-that have draftees. And if your team could vote for a
leader rather than be assigned a leader, would they still vote for you.
Steve Kaufman, CEO Arrow Electronics
Servant-leadership encourages collaboration, trust, foresight,
listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment. Warren Bennis,
leadership scholar believes American corporations are over managed and
underled. Great leaders get exceptional efforts from their employees.
Effective leaders must have vision. A visionary leader has a clear sense
for the future with the ability to turn their vision into results. This
could not be accomplished if they let their ego get in the way.
Communication is key to the process used to inspire others to act. A
servant leader makes a conscious choice to lead by being a servant first.
He or she is sharply different from the person who is leader first,
perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to
acquire material possessions. The leader-first and the servant-first are
two extreme types. Between these two extremes is where you find the most
effective leaders. Your style is determined by you, your environment and
the specific situation you face. But, if you stay in the grid between
these two extremes, your effectiveness as a leader will be obvious.
(e-mail rick@ceostrategist.com for the fre*e Leadership Thought Provoker
Checklist or visit www.ceostrategist.com ) Good managers get employees to
respect them, effective leaders get employees to not only respect them but
more importantly they get them to respect themselves.
About the Author
www.ceostrategist.com Dr. Rick Johnson (rick@ceostrategist.com) is the
founder of CEO Strategist LLC. an experienced based firm specializing in
leadership and the creation of competitive advantage in wholesale
distribution. CEO Strategist LLC. works in an advisory capacity with
distributor executives in board representation, executive coaching, team
coaching and education and training to make the changes necessary to
create or maintain co
