10 Aug THERE’S A REASON WHY “SHIP” IS IN LEADERSHIP!
Have you ever wondered why there is SHIP in LEADERSHIP?
This is because the finest place and organisation that suits the name is on a ship. Having crew members of up to 200 or 300 at most at sea for months without having to fire, substitute or having to put up openings for new crew members. The crew stays together through it all.
Is it that they don’t have differences about the job?
Yes, they have different philosophies and orientation but they still stay together in the same ship for months. How can this task be done, putting more than 200 persons on board for months and successfully bringing them back to shore after months of travelling territorial waters?
This can only be achieved through good leadership.
Here are some qualities of a Good Leader
Vision
Great leaders have vision… They can see into the future.
They have clear, exciting ideas of where they are going and what they are trying to accomplish. They are excellent at strategic planning.
This quality separates them from managers. Having a clear vision turns the individual into a special type of person. This quality of vision changes a “transactional manager” into a “transformational leader.”
Courage
“Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it, all others depend.”– Winston Churchill
Integrity
In every strategic planning session, the first value that all executives agree upon for their company is integrity. They all agree on the importance of complete honesty in everything they do, both internally and externally. The core of integrity is truthfulness.
Humility
Great leaders are those who are strong and decisive but also humble.
Humility doesn’t mean that you’re weak or unsure of yourself. It means that you have the self-confidence and self-awareness to recognise the value of others without feeling threatened.
It also means that you are willing to admit you could be wrong, that you recognise you may not have all the answers.
Larry Bossidy, the former CEO of Honeywell and author of the book Execution, explained why humility makes you a more effective leader:
“The more you can contain your ego, the more realistic you are about your problems. You learn how to listen, and admit that you don’t know all the answers. You exhibit the attitude that you can learn from anyone at any time. Your pride doesn’t get in the way of gathering the information you need to achieve the best results. It doesn’t keep you from sharing the credit that needs to be shared. Humility allows you to acknowledge your mistakes.”
Strategic Planning
Great leaders are outstanding at strategic planning. They have the ability to look ahead, to anticipate with some accuracy where the industry and the markets are going.
With increasing competition, only the leaders and organisations that can accurately anticipate future markets can possibly survive. Leaders with foresight gain the “first mover advantage.”
Focus
Leaders always focus on the needs of the company. Leaders focus on results, on what must be achieved by themselves, others, and the company. Great leaders focus and leverage on their strengths, and strengths of others.
Cooperation
A leader’s ability to get everyone working and pulling together is essential to his or her success. Leadership is the ability to get people to work for you because they want to.
Some mistakes leaders make in organisations
It’s often said that mistakes provide great learning opportunities. However, it’s much better not to make mistakes in the first place! Beyond looking at some good qualities and what makes an excellent leader. Highlighted below, are some mistakes leaders often make while trying to achieve organisational goals.
- Leaders hiring only those who follow orders: Hiring individuals to work in any particular role in the organisation requires that the person follows orders accurately. However, that should not be the end. Following orders is important but using intuition and initiative when needed as an employee or having creative abilities will also help make organisational goals attainable. The leader is not an island of knowledge.
- Lack of innovation: Companies that innovate tend to do so by thinking outside the box. When a leader of the team does not think outside the box, it invariably limits the ability of the team to be innovative.
It is true that making mistakes are great learning opportunities. However, taking the time to learn how to recognise and avoid common mistakes can help a leader becomes more productive, successful and highly respected by team members.
(Extracts from Brian Tracy’s The Top 7 Leadership Qualities & Attributes of Great Leaders and The Leadership Mistakes of Willy Wonka of the Chocolate Factory)