Why leadership?
While our world is full with followers and hive-minded folks that we never get to really know, who live a shallow life and perish when the “expected” (by themselves) time comes - I feel that whenever one wishes to make a difference in an increasingly corrupt world, it always starts with leading, making a point in thinking for oneself, and showing your colors for a change.
It is not politically correct (not many admit it though) to say what you really think in our society nowadays and it implies getting out of the societal comfort zone, but this is the first step of leading.
How do I lead?
There are many flavors for leading, and like many things. it depends.
Being with inexperienced people will command a different kind of conduct than leading more senior colleagues, even though some people have an amazing depth to them while starting a new role, whereas some are still very local and frankly speaking - very shallow, even after having been on site for ages.
Some people need the authority to tell them what to do, until they are warm in their clothes and make it on their own, while others are already seasoned enough and do not need any superfluous interference from the leader.
Be thyself.
I see myself as a natural leader in that I am not afraid of being myself, and I lead by being an example, by showing the way, most humbly so - by making mistakes, being humane, and avoiding micromanagement as much as possible.
Have the courage.
I see myself as a natural leader by having the courage to take decisions, some of them in a flash, while other decisions will follow after pondering on it and even consulting other people around me.
Consider this: everybody can give you a hint; learning from others (even if others are not aware of their teacher/way-shower role, or don’t regard their helping you as significant).
Making decisions is not always easy and doesn’t need to be procrastinated either, but it needs to be done.
The upside is that taking responsibility for oneself, and others as a leader, and making decisions entails also taking wrong (at the time) decisions and correcting them if/when they are not optimal.
See the “map”, the forest AND the trees.
I see myself as a natural leader since I can see the big picture, I see the patterns and have the affinity to connect the dots, which very often gives me also a vision and some future thinking, as opposed to most so-called “leaders” in the world.
This doesn’t mean that other people don’t have a vision, and might even have insight, but lots of people are not comfortable with acting upon what they deem fit and/or don’t trust themselves, or just don’t have the courage to act on it, “steer the boat”, let their voice be heard, risk a potential conflict, etc.
Given the company culture that allows anything other than exclusively “Yes-sayers”, which is increasingly rare, I will definitely speak out and act on my vision and my insights, and risk some opposition, as long as the discussion is on a grown-up level.
While I don’t pretend to be perfect in any way, shape or form, the best is saved for last (ehhh I am using Irony here..):
What I need help with is
explaining the above to others, as in why I am not eligible for micromanagement from them
why saying what you want, expressing your needs and cooperating is more important than keeping them for yourself, as in imploding, or alternatively (same same but different, just a little worse) - thinking of yourself and like a predator, relentlessly working for your own good, as in: selfish conduct while stepping on others’ toes.
keeping all the dots in check, since I might actually forget something, and I tend to be more creative than meticulously correct on a molecular level.
learning stuff I don’t know - and don’t we all?
letting me know, in a loving way, that I am in the wrong.Be loving, caring and sharing with me, and I will apologize and correct, sometimes in a flash, since this is what courage and integrity mean.
Again, since we have a natural tendency to have more followers than leaders (not everyone can - or want - to lead), help me lead, and I will help you to follow.
When I need to follow, because someone else is more suitable to show the way, then I will step aside, or otherwise, follow another.
Not an ego-trip, but rather doing things optimally and making ourselves useful, as a collective.
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