Three of my favorite leadership quotes embody what I believe to be the most critical characteristics of true leaders. In today’s world, I think some mistake positions of leadership for leadership. If that weren’t the case, I suspect that, according to a Harvard Business Review survey, 58 percent of respondents wouldn’t trust strangers more than they trust their boss.
Most are familiar with the adage that people leave bosses, not companies. How do you know if you are someone people will stay to work for and will thrive under your guidance? Here are three signs you might be a great leader.
Sign #1 Of A Greater Leader: You Understand That You Make The Title, The Title Doesn’t Make You
Once upon a time, I worked for a person in a leadership position that would tell us, to be leaders, we ‘must create followers.’ That phrase always struck me as self-centered. As if to lead, you must subjugate people or indoctrinate them to your way of thinking, doing, and being. He didn’t say make believers of people so that they choose you. He said, ‘make them followers.’ Thus bringing me to the first of my favorite quotes:
“True leaders don’t create followers; they create more leaders.” – Tom Peters
Being given a higher title doesn’t suddenly imbue one with leadership qualities. Your title maps you on an org chart. In fact, I would argue, power serves as a mechanism to magnify who someone truly is. Someone who looks upon promotion as an opportunity to improve their skills and sees it as a privilege is the sign of a great leader.
Once you make it into the role, you have to make it as a leader. Don’t rely on your title to make people fall in line. It’s your responsibility to build your team and help them accomplish their professional endeavors. When I coach professionals, I encourage them to work on their leadership journey and look at their position as the next evolution of that journey, not as the final destination.
Sign #2 Of A Great Leader: They Guide, Instead Of Command And Control
Previously, I worked at a company that used the distributed leadership model. As an individual contributor or a people-leader, you were responsible and accountable for your deliverables and actions. The majority of the managers and leaders weren’t micromanagers. And those who were didn’t last long. That company acquired a command and control company, and when those two worlds collided, it was chaos. Usually, I love chaos, but not this time.
Those accustomed to distributed leadership continued to maintain their tempo but often found they were impeded by those in leadership positions who subscribed to the command and control style. Many resignations, push-outs, and firings (ahem, layoffs) later by the leadership of the acquired company, the culture wasn’t the same. But what I found most odd is this semi-scorched earth method was referred to as leadership, when all they were doing is telling people what to do and being overly prescriptive about it.
This brings me to my second quote that may, on the surface, seem to contradict the first:
“No [person] is good enough to govern another [person] without the other’s consent.” -Abraham Lincoln
I just finished saying a leader creates leaders, not followers, so why is this even a thing? Let me reframe it. If, as the leader, when you look behind you, and no one is there, you are not the leader. For people to allow you to lead them through thick and thin, and shape them into leaders, they have to trust you. Consent and trust come in the form of respecting you as a leader versus respecting the title.
Sure, you can demand people do something, but that will work once, maybe twice. In the background, they are plotting their escape from you. 79% of people quit their job because of a lack of appreciation. The book, 7 Hidden Reasons Why Employees Leave, revealed that 89% of bosses believe their employees leave because of pay. But really, only 12% leave for better-paying opportunities.
Further, employees say that recognition is the number one thing they could receive from their boss to inspire them to do great work. Whew! I felt that one. I once had a manager recognize my work by giving credit for it to two men during a national sales meeting. The two men confusedly looked at one another and then me because they didn’t even work on the project.
Great leaders use a variety of inspirational and motivational tools to encourage exemplary performance. Command and control is the last resort and only used when the situation requires it.
My coaching to people-managers is to connect with your team members, whether you choose them or inherit them. One of the quickest ways to do this, especially if you have a large team, is by sharing useful feedback effectively. Let them share with you how they believe they’re doing. Another way is to co-create an individual development plan (IDP) with them and hold them accountable for their development. Focusing your energy is these two areas, you empower your team to own their success and see you as a partner.
Sign #3 Of A Great Leader: You Eat Last
If you’re not familiar, Simon Sinek wrote a book called Leaders Eat Last, based on the premise that officers in the military eat after their troops. They take care of the needs of their people before their own.
Leaders eating last resonates with my philosophy of servant leadership. And this brings me to my third favorite quote.
“Leadership is the right of the follower and the privilege of the leader” -Me, Nile Harris
Okay, I’m biased. When you are busy taking bows and accepting accolades, you miss the opportunity to shine the light on your team. You take on tough assignments and loop the group in, but you do it for the glory or the next promotion with little regard for how it will impact your team. Sure, the leader gets the praise when things go well, and the punishment if they don’t. Allow me to offer a slightly different perspective. A true leader will take the blame but will distribute the accolades. In other words, blame equals ‘me’, and win equals ‘we’.
Consider that as the leader, you are in the service of your team. Your role is to remove obstacles from their path and equip them with the resources they require. You eat after everyone is fed.
By focusing on building up your team and equipping them to be future leaders or better current leaders, inviting them to trust you, and eating last, you can create an environment of employees or teammates who are thrilled to share in the ups and downs with you. And when you turn around, you will see them behind you ready to fight with you and not against you.
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