Great leaders, in life and business, make themselves accountable to helping people fulfil their needs to make a positive difference. Whether that be personal growth, happiness or financial success, leaders are crucial, but sometimes, leadership doesn’t always work out which begs the question: when does leadership fail?
Before I answer the question, it’s important to understand what great leadership actually is. You might’ve heard a saying which goes along the lines of leaders are born, not made. Yes, some people are born with a more natural ability to behave like a leader, such as authenticity or calmness. However, this is not the case in reality because regardless of whether you’re born with an affinity towards leadership or not, leaders are practiced, self-aware and earn their influence. Do you think Oprah Winfrey or Barack Obama, or anybody like that, was a leader when they were born? When they were 5, 6 and 10 years old? No, they were just normal kids. They may have had some characteristics which made them more charismatic, good at communication, but without practicing the behaviours of a leader, they would not be who they are today. They had to listen, learn and grow. Leadership is less about the skills one possesses, but more about how one behaves. This is why I believe that anyone can be a leader.
Two of the right behaviours of a leader which are critical in this scenario are authenticity and commitment. Authenticity is where a leader who behaves in a way that is natural and right, by being themselves and acting in accordance with their values, are more likeable and seen as more trustworthy. Many successful leaders, including the ones mentioned above, speak often about being true to yourself. Commitment is where a leader stick to the behaviours of a leader even when things get tough.
Earlier in my career, before I even realised leadership is a journey I wanted to take, I was taught a lesson by a mentor at the time. He told me that as we grow and move up (in position) we need to commit to fulfilling the role of the new position. This is because, when times become challenging, it is natural for people to revert back to what they did before. For example, as I moved up into a managerial position in engineering and construction, when the project became tough, the easiest option would be for me to go back to the role of doing. This, however, doesn’t benefit the people in that role, the project or me. If I did that, then essentially I failed in my role.
This the same for leadership. When times become difficult, it is easier for leaders to revert back to old ways and abandon their behaviours as leader. For example, a leader who was taught to lead with an iron first, belittlement and micromanagement, now is one who follows the right behaviour principles. If their project becomes challenging because some people aren’t fulfilling their roles, then the leader may revert back to their old ways. This will only damage their influence. In short, leadership fails because leaders fail to remain authentic to their style and committed to behaving as a leader should. That is why the greatest leaders who excel are ones who, no matter the challenge, continue to behaviour as a leader should, they Adapt, display the Right Behaviours and utilise their Experience.
Thank you for reading, JT
