For you leaders out there, how many times have you thought to yourself, ” I wonder what the team thinks of my ability to lead?” “I wonder if they think I am doing a good job?”
I am pondering a piece on leadership feedback and would like to hear your thoughts. Drop me a quick comment if you have time today and we will see what comes of it.
Have a compelling Monday.
0 Responses
It’s a great time to ponder this thought. With the economy being a huge question mark, the politics of our country being challenged (both left and right), and everyone seeking change, we all must and should question leadership. Not only ourselves as leaders, but those that lead us.
Are you, as a leader, creating change? Do you have a “kaizen” philosophy for yourself and/or your business? Do people look to you for inspiration and ideas? I think if you can answer yes to these questions then you are a leader. Don’t wait for someone to confirm it for you. Own it, be it.
At the end of Seth Godin’s new book, Tribes, he says that all leaders have one thing in common: they have made the choice to lead. I agree with him that being a leader is a choice, and it’s a choice that only you can make. You don’t need an election to confirm that you are a leader. You just do it.
I wonder sometimes what my agents think of me as a team leader. It can be tough sometimes making decisions that can affect your employees, but thats part of duties of being a team leader.
Mike, I have been thinking about your post and how or even if I really wanted to respond, as it may come across harsh. To be open and honest, I have never really given a damn what anyone following me thought, be that employees, employers, lenders or partners. It is my belief that worrying about what folk’s think evokes fear, hesitation and bad decision. I also subscribe to swiftly removing folks who don’t believe in whatever it was I was doing. Naysayers can do significant damage quickly. For absolute clarity, I am not referencing conflict, disagreement, arguments, difficult people and healthy debate, I am speaking of the naysayer who likely isn’t saying things in your presence, but is a complete cancer to your objectives. They offer no value to the course. Folks don’t need to agree with the leader, but they absolutely must support the leader or they need to go.
So, I believe you gauge your leadership by the effectiveness of the task at hand, not in popularity. Folks choose to follow you, and they can choose to not follow