Leadership is naturally associated with power — the ability to control, supposedly for the good of people. But people with a sense of power can hardly do much good for those they lead. That feeling of controlling others itself comes from a sense of entitlement and superiority.
True leadership is anything but that. It is a Responsibility which falls upon the few to facilitate the needs and development of the many they lead. Leading people is about acting powerfully. It is about being a ‘Servant’, essentially serving the people who look up to you. It is about commanding respect, not demanding it.
Besides politics, organisational leadership plays a critical role in the way people shape up in society and at their workplaces. Managers need to be empathetic, development oriented, and possess the ability to balance team and task. It is a powerful space to be in, provided you are not intoxicated by the false sense of power.
As Gen Z shapes and reshapes modern thinking, accountability is at the core of good leadership. It always was, but now it is becoming a basic expectation. Those being led are now often vocal and unforgiving. Leadership is complex, and will always be, as after all dealing with people is never a cake walk. But as the world finds itself getting engulfed in greater chaos, the onus on leaders to simplify things in the eyes of their team members, communicate with conviction and act with fairness is amplifying.
Powerful leadership has various aspects to it, with Humility being at the core of it. Humble leaders ready to listen and receive feedback gain far more respect than those who exercise their authority. Leadership after all is about influence, not authority. Respect has to be earned, not imposed.
Powerful leadership is also about engaging in certain key practices, which are geared towards establishing open communication and continuous people development. These practices can be clubbed under three critical buckets:
- Establishing fearless feedback mechanisms
- Continuous Training
- Coaching & Mentoring
Thus, great leadership is not just about good behaviours (that is a given of course). Great leadership is also about possessing a discipline to engage in people-oriented practices, which will get the best out of the team and deliver optimum results for the organisation.
(Hariharan Iyer is a seasoned Motivational Speaker, Corporate Trainer and Author of multiple management books. His latest release is Off Stump – Life And Management Lessons From Cricket. He is the Founder-Creator of WisdomKeys Learning & Consulting - www.wisdomkeys.com. He is popularly referred to as The Enter-Trainer®. He can be reached on hariharan@thehsse.com).
