Mainstream academic environments define leadership as “a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task“.
Prior to the 19th century, the concept of leadership had far less relevance than it does today. Society expected and obtained traditional deference and obedience to kings, lords, nobles, master-craftsmen, and slave-masters.
In stark contrast, modern leaders face a multitude of challenges their distant predecessors could never have prophesized. Leading in the 21st century is complex and requires the leader to possess a technical mastery of their relevant profession, strategic foresight, socio-political astuteness, emotional intelligence, charisma, and resilience amongst a plethora of other desirable character traits and skills.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of expectation and burden of responsibility attached to being at the helm of an organisation, be it very large or very small. It’s also far too easy to get caught up in the day-to-day management of the business and lose sight of the bigger picture and what’s truly important to you as the leader.
Taking time out to reflect and reset needs to be a part of every leader’s regular mantra. An effective way to do this is to block out 30 minutes per week in your diary [my preference is Friday afternoons] to stop, review the week, and assess your performance as a leader.
Consider how much time you spend managing vs leading and if the ratio is right? Ask yourself if your leadership provided direction and truly added value or if it caused confusion and increased unnecessary burden? I think you probably get the picture!
Importantly, keep a leadership diary and record your thoughts for regular review, and to gauge if you are learning and evolving from your own experiences.
I recommend including the following acronym on the first page of your leadership diary. Regular review of this simple memory jogger will help keep you focused on what’s important.
Language
Enthusiasm
Attitude
Discipline
Ethics
Responsibility
Strategy
Honesty
Integrity
Professionalism
Modeling positive behavior based on this acronym will help build trust and respect amongst your team, colleagues, and other leaders in your organisation and more widely.
