To many people leadership is just being in charge. But there is a lot more to it than that. In fact, there are many organisations where the people in charge are doing more harm than good for the company.
Leadership is an art, but also an understanding of who one is working with and what the organisations is working towards. The person in charge is not the most important person, everyone employed in an organisation works under the same umbrella. Without every person in the organisation the organisation wouldn’t exist.
When I ran a cleaning business, I tried to instil in my workers and my customers, that without either, there would be NO business. One without the other wouldn’t work. And if the workers could see the benefits of what they were doing, then the customers had a good cleaner and were happy.
Unfortunately, many people who run business, whether it be their own organisation or for a large company, are quite happy to tell everyone what to do, take the glory for other people’s success, and enjoy the position.
Leadership is not about Power; it is about guiding those you work with to produce their best. It is not about being in charge, it’s about being the leader of the team, where you all work together, including the leader. It’s not taking the glory for the success of the job done, it’s about sharing the limelight with your workers. It’s not being superior; it’s about knowing your workers and being concerned for them and their family.
Leadership is also realising that family comes first. This can be the business family, which encourages everyone to help each other, as well as the individual’s family, which should always be more important than your business. If your worker’s family is in trouble, as a leader it is your duty to help where you can. Of course, this should only go so far. If the person concerned is using the leader’s kindness, then you are better off without that person being part of your team.
And that brings me to team players. Most people if treated kindly and fairly are more than willing to be part of the team. They like working where everyone is a friend and the place is enjoyable to work at. But there are people who think themselves better than those who they work with. They want to tell everyone how to do the job, and they are not willing to listen to the person in charge. In many cases these people see themselves as a leader and feel they should be in that position. They quite often push themselves into leadership jobs, merely because they want to big note themselves. But are they useful to a company? Generally, not, because they only want the position, they don’t understand the niceties of the job.
You might not be interested in Stocks and Shares, but people who are, quite often follow what happens with the company in which they have invested. When the company is doing well its shares grow higher, similarly when something goes wrong the value of the shares drop. So those interested in where their money is working want to see a good return on their investment. Quite often the success of a company can be down to one person. They have leadership abilities and the company grows under them. But after a while that person decides to move on and leave that company. Generally, there is another firm that encourages that leader to join them. When the departure of the CEO or Chairman of the successful company is announced the shares of the company drop. Many times, the shares of where that person is going to miraculously go up, rapidly. There is a recognition that the leader has been the person to create the success, so they are following that person to the next organisation. Amazingly the company the leader has joined does improve, and the place that person has left behind finds it difficult to get an equal replacement.
So, there is something important in being a kind, thoughtful, and a smart leader. They do stand out. They are happy people, they believe in the organisation they work for, they look after their staff and they work alongside those workers when necessary.
They are not only a team leader; they are the foundation of the company as well as being the top of the building. They are the part of the umbrella that covers everyone equally and ensures those under it are protected. This way, they are always sure the customers will receive the service they desire, the workers are treated with respect, and the business will flourish.
Do you think you can fit into that kind of leadership role? If so, now is the time to explain this in your CV. There are very few leaders in the world, and we need more of them. But it is no good saying you’re a leader if you only care about yourself and the position. Too many of these are in positions of power all ready.
Julie Finch-Scally ©
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