Leaders should demand best from himself

in #leaders5 years ago


The problem for some is that he may feel that his contribution to the group is so small that he could do it all himself, or that if he does the best he can, he will not be able to count on others. The result is that leadership is a task to be done by the man who is manfully self-disciplined. Those who are unable to see that sometimes are doomed to make fewer and less impactful contributions. When someone is reluctant to take risks in order to secure a job, the member might simply give up.

He may know that what he wants, he wants for himself and he will therefore not be led to come to another's aid. A leader must have confidence in his own abilities, but he must also be willing to follow the lead of others in all instances of conflict. If you do not allow others to make decisions for you, you will never succeed. Take away your self-confident self-concept and you will still fail. In order for you to be good at leadership, you must first be a leader of people.

This is particularly true when leadership involves the desire for power. Again, when not talking about power, leaders do not often discuss where their unwillingness to demand from others stems from. They probably think of themselves as capable and strong, and they definitely need to be able to meet the demands of other leaders and employees. But in the end, their desire to be power-focused and be "the boss" will limit their ability to meet the needs of those who are in a position to influence them. Good leadership is one of the most important skills an employee can develop.

This puts people in a dilemma: they might feel the need to compromise with a poor leader in order to gain the respect of their peers, but they might also feel that if they compromised, they would alienate their own long-term goal of attaining the highest position possible, which means surrendering not just their own goals, but their own self-esteem. This (along with the recent development of new technologies, such as self-driving cars) represents a dramatic departure from an uncertain, old-fashioned business model, which is how people do business for a living.


It's an uncomfortable realization, because it reminds us that, at a deep level, we actually are independent individuals--alone in a universe that is relentlessly demanding. Thus, it seems natural to ask, "What makes you special, for you to feel so passionately about helping others?" If you know that you can feel that way, you will probably see it as our role as leaders to act in a special way. We will try to help people see themselves in us, and we will likely find our greatest personal victories when others see the expression of their faith in our lives.

The leader's attention has to be given to the task at hand, the leadership task, no matter what the cost. This leads many leaders into reacting to situations with emotions and other behaviors that make the situation worse. By all means, say something that you feel is warranted but at least use the appropriate level of authority and restraint.
One of the best things that an individual can do for himself and his team is to value honesty and transparency in his communication with the team. Perhaps because he has had to learn that being transparent and honest is the path to creating a great team.