FRiday Leadership, 7

1. Leadership is not about job title, job grade, position in the structure chart nor special parking place. Leadership is about mindset. Leadership is about does your manner, your voice, your tone and what you say encourage people to do their best work? And does your track-record suggest you have a right to say such things?
2. Leadership is a tough and lonely job in which many will not like you all of the time. That's why you're a leader: to steer a path which many are not sure they can maintain because of lack of strength or too many distractions or too many seductions.
3. Leadership is providing clarity, direction, counseling, tools, guidance, reading, T&D, inspiration, coaching so that ultimately someone can lead themselves. The more you invest upfront in the leadership task the greater the return further along the journey.
4. Leadership is helped by role models. Choose these carefully. Celebrity rarely demonstrates leadership well. Military leadership is often embedded in very special circumstances. Oft-mentioned business and political leaders sadly fail repeatedly on integrity and although they 'get things done' leave a trail of damage around them.
5. Leadership needs connection. There is 'hi-tech' e.g. e-mail and there is 'hi touch' e.g. coaching. Both are critically important.
6. Leadership requires learning. Which means mistakes will be made. Great leaders admit to such mistakes, learn and never repeat the error again.
7. Leadership requires standing up, taking responsibility and owning consequences. Anyone can be a leader. Only a few are willing to stand up and out from the crowd.