Lonely at the Top

Leadership is lonely; so then why do so many people esteem to be leaders? Why is leadership often looked on as positive endeavor? For the very reason that being a leader is lonely. Because being a leader is a distinction that comes through effort not position.
Leadership can be lonely because a leader can’t always enjoy the comfort of consensus, actually it is the very fact that the individual is not swayed and cajoled with everyone’s whim that helps to solidify them as a leader. But not everyone can be a leader, like great athletes leaders must practice their art and hone their skills, but most importantly they have to distinguish themselves from the pack. By doing so they move to a position from which they can lead.
Now, imagine a mass of people with someone stuck in the middle to give direction from the middle crowd. It will never work. Not until that person separates themselves from the group, usually by climbing up so they can see and be heard above the crowd can they be effective. From their new vantage point they are in a position to lead, because they have a better position to see and direct.
So what can you do if you are a leader and feel isolated? Well, just because leadership can be lonely does not mean you have to be alone, or isolated. In fact it is critical to get in the mix, talk with others and participate in the organization. By doing so your reality as a leader is grounded and the others you work with will recognize your genuine efforts. My only word of caution is to not to get so chummy that when a tough decision has to be made, personal emotional biases become the determining factors instead of principles of sound leadership, such as what is best for the organization.

Reflection

Personal reflection is vital to successful leaders. There are two basic types of reflection, internal and external. Reflecting provides the opportunity to digest and process our personal interactions. Too often we find ourselves busy each day conducting business, and then we dismiss the critical part of reviewing our day due to “lack of time”. But individual reflection can be as simple as turning off the radio while driving and focusing your thoughts on different personal transactions of the day. Reviewing what went well and why, and what we could have done to be more effective. Individual reflection can also be very sophisticated, for example personal inventory tests or personality assessments are examples of concentrated personal reflection. These reports can be generated by our own thoughts, feelings and impressions, and then the results are compiled in a report for review. Interesting enough these reports are simply the jump point for us to sit back and mentally review.
The other type of reflection is external in which the feedback we receive comes from others. We are constantly getting feedback from others through their facial expressions and body language, but external reflection requires more than just adapting to the environment. External reflection requires investigation and direct feedback. A very simple but effective method is asking someone you trust, “what is something I could be doing better?” but be ready for some tough answers. If you overreact you will never get honest feedback, but if you take it in stride and do a little follow on investigating you will usually find out the root of the issue. On the high end of external feedback there are 360 reviews and performance reports. These all help to provide a picture of how others perceive you and your effectiveness.
So if you have not taken time to stop and reflect on how things are going and how you could be more effective, you are missing out on a relatively easy but very effective leadership multiplier.

Leaders need to Listen

“The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” Colin Powell

I have included this quote from Colin Powell a retired general that had a very distinguished public service career, because it helps to illustrate the point that leaders need to listen. And what should they be listening for? Leaders must be “listening” to many different levels of communication in order to be effective. They need to attend to each individual’s personal comments and they also must listen to organizational issues.
All of us have experienced the casual salutation “How’s it going?”, but do we stop and really find out? As a leader stopping and taking time to find out, through listening makes all the difference. It may not change the entire organization in a day, but it will change that person’s day as they remember that someone cared. The key to listening to the individual is reading the total person, not just hearing the words, but understanding their meaning. Many authors and experts have touted the importance of Emotional Intelligence, or the ability to sense and emphasize with another’s feelings, because without meaning the message is lost. Many times I have told the person “you don’t look, ok” and often get a more sincere response with a brief discussion of what is really going on in their lives.
Next it is very important for the leader to stop and listen to organizational issues. Essentially that is one of the leader’s key tasks; listen, take recommendations and then issue direction. Too often leaders are found providing guidance and direction without any input from the implementers. The result is misunderstanding, confusion, cynicism and lost productivity. Alternately the leader that takes the time to listen and employ a participative style of leadership gets diverse opinions. These can then be used to make a better informed decision.
Listening and understanding take time and practice, it is an important leader talent, but well worth the effort. So get out there and listen to what’s going on.

Leader Talent

Leadership is a talent and just like every talent there are two kinds of people: the ones who are naturally talented and the ones that are not. We all know someone that has a sort of gift, a special ability, something that just comes naturally to them, sometimes they don't even realize it. Well some people are endowed with the talent of leadership. They've got the "it"; people are attracted to them, they enjoy challenges, working in divers and ambiguous situations motivate them. These folks are natural leaders, they are like Mozart, Picasso and Da Vinci so to speak within the art of leadership.
Then there is the larger more common group of individuals, who have key attributes, but their leadership ability is developed over time and through practice. These leaders are excellent at what they do, because of the effort they invest. Within this group are professionals that take pride in pursuing excellence and influencing others to achieve high standards. They are like great athletes, musicians or artisans. Because they build upon the natural abilities they possess and seek opportunities to strengthen personal weaknesses. This group of leaders develop their talent, just like a great jazz musician, through trial and error, testing boundaries and discovering best practices.
Lest someone reading this becomes discouraged because do not feel like a natural leader, fear not, because like anything worth pursuing, becoming a good leader can be achieved. It takes practice, concentration and dedication. This does not mean one should stop what they are doing only to pursue great leadership qualities; rather in being dedicated and through practice the leader emerges from the experience. In essence you become the leader in doing, not simply by pursuing leadership.
This why so many leader development programs fail, they pool together the important skills, attributes and qualities of leadership, but they fail to allow for leadership to take place and consequently fail to develop a good leader. If you are truly interested in becoming a better leader, reflect on what you've got and what you need. Then in the moment of truth act appropriately, soon you will find that your leader attributes will be strengthened and your leader influence expanded.