I’ve discussed leadership with quite a few people and everyone has a different spin on it. I’ve heard that people in leadership roles just need to treat people the way they want to be treated. Well, that might be true to some degree but what if a person grew up in a tough situation where they were told what to do? I would tend to believe they might think that’s the best way to get things done.
Too Busy Excuse
Then there are so-called leaders that wait for the last minute to advise others what needs to be done. They might be too busy or don’t have the time to get certain things done. However, they eventually get to it. Well, my comment to that scenario is that people always make the time for things that they want to make time for.
Leadership Issues
Let’s face it, there are a lot of issues with leadership. Being a leader is very subjective. Additionally, I believe the opinions of those being lead by the leader are also subjective. Leadership is not a black and white issue. Why? Because a leader makes a lot of decisions based on his or her principles. Besides the same holds true with the team he/she is leading. Because they evaluate the leader based on their principles. As you know, no two people are alike. So, how can they both have the same opinion on leadership?
A friend told me that he feels there is too much money being spent on leadership training. That might be true but how is that any different on how much money is being spent on getting people trying to get better with golf? Very few people are born leaders. So, if you want to be a leader, you will need to learn what it takes to be a leader. You can go to seminars, listen to tapes, watch videos and read blogs on leadership. The more you learn about the traits of leadership, the better you will be.
What You Need to Do
However, here’s the hard part and no training will help. You need to be willing to change and try the things you learned. Too many people go to these seminars and revert back to their old techniques. A conscious effort to change is required. Try what you learned. Modify it to fit your situation. Realize each person is different. What works for one team member might not work for another. As I indicated in another blog, personalities play a major role.
There is only one constant in life. That’s change. Embrace it. I made a lot of mistakes as a leader. But I learned from those mistakes and I slowly became a better leader.
