No MBA mumbo-jumbo, just stuff that's worked through 30 years of team-building in business and the military.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Day-to-Day Leadership is Easy

The best kind of leadership is also the easiest.

How many books haven't you read by or about great leaders, only to find that you struggle to do what they do, or what they recommend? How many seminars haven't you attended that inspired you at the time, but didn't change a thing?

There's a reason: You can't ever take a break from leading, so your leadership methods have to be as natural to you as breathing. That's not to say you don't want to change or learn, you do, but you have to approach leadership growth the same way you would a fitness program or a diet: It takes lifestyle change.

There are some big components of leadership, like setting the vision and strategizing, but day-to-day leadership comes down to two things: the passion you have (that's your energy source) and the things you communicate (how you translate your energy and vision into their action).

Lead from your place of natural passion. What gets you excited? Is it the environment? Then drive your leadership from your passion to make your workplace sustainable. Is it money? Then use your passion for wealth to lead to more profits. Is it socializing? Then spend your day with people, leading one-on-one. Is it service? Get your energy making work life better for your people.

In the same way, use your natural means of communication. Strong, silent types communicate by example, by doing. Talkers talk. Writers write. Presenters present. You have to do some of all of them, but day to day do what's most natural to let your people know what's expected and how to do it.

When you build your passion and do your communicating just by being yourself, the job is easy. When you try to be Colin Powell or Tony Dungy or Oprah, you'll work twice as hard and fail.

4 comments:

  1. Good words Greg. When we become strong as ourselves, we can work on our strengths and not try and be another.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the comment. Hope we can learn together.

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  2. Great points. If a leader is passionate about what they do then it will rub off onto their followers. Passions is so important.

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    1. Dan, good to see you back. Thanks for reading and adding value.

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