This discussion series is an excerpt of my book: The Competence Myth - Why your technical skills are no longer enough and what you can do about it (based on Chapter 3: Becoming a Leader)
By definition, leadership is about setting the example. Never ask or expect more from others than you are willing to do yourself. In the technical workplace, don’t confuse this concept with specific skills or competency. There’ll always be someone with technical expertise different than your own. That’s not the issue. The point is that you should never expect others to exhibit a greater sense of caring, camaraderie and personal interest than you.
Let’s just take a moment to distinguish between leadership versus popularity.
It seems sometime we’re a nation of political junkies. Who’s up in the polls? Whose apparent popularity is on the wane? Our heightened political awareness might lead us to conclude that leadership and popularity are inextricably linked, perhaps even one in the same.
This is not necessarily the case. As you develop your leadership potential, and as you continue to expand your sphere of influence, keep in mind that the good leaders are ultimately driven by what they think is best, and not by what may seem the popular choice at the moment. Under any circumstance, a good leader will weigh the different options and act in a manner consistent with the welfare of the whole.
If you follow this principle, you will gain the greatest attribute leaders must possess: respect. If others see that you consistently act in the manner that promotes the wellbeing of the team, the company, and your customers, they will also respect you when you need to make the “hard choices.” At those times, your decisions and outcomes may be unpopular on many levels. Nonetheless, if you’re perceived as fair, balanced and genuinely concerned about the good of those around you, then people will not only respect you, they will gravitate toward you. At that point, you can begin to inspire and motivate others.
In the next installment, I’ll discuss the seven tenets of effective leadership.
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