Quite a number of people asked me in conversations “what leadership is for you, Leos?”
As a Leader, I believe leading people and teams means the following:
- Identify the best talent in every individual in your organization
- Create safe working environment for people enable to do the best possible job
- Tolerate mistakes. In fact, ignore mistakes, and discuss these with your teams in Lesson‘s Learned sessions
- Acknowledge no-one in your organization will do things exactly as you do.
- Trust people, give responsibility. Don’t assign tasks, don’t tell people how should they do their work unless they ask for advice
- Communicate openly throughout your team(s) and organization(s)
- Don’t confuse authority that comes with a particular position with trust. As a leader, you earn trust of your team, regardless of your position. I have seen many managers who had formal authority, but no trust
- If you are wrong, or if you make a mistake, admit it openly. It shows your confidence and makes you more human
- Don’t confuse “accountability” with “yelling on people”. People always never need to feel scared or punished.
- Resist the urge to get involved in day to day activities of your team. Avoid micromanaging.
Leadership is not an appointment. It’s an attitude. If you are a leader, people will trust you enough to go with you for a hike to mountains. They will recognize you as someone whom they can trust. You are in their view a person, whom they choose to follow. You are the person they will go to if they face a difficult situation and need help.
