Being a leaders means people follow you. That’s all. If you look historically at the leaders that people followed fiercely, you’ll find some of the most destructive, self-serving, and vicious leaders in government, religion and yes business. Hitler was Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year” in 1938 and Joseph Stalin was picked twice (1939 and 1942).
Having said that, I know you can’t run a company without getting people to work together in ways that multiply the effectiveness of each individual. Management is required for that. Management without leadership will do better than leadership without management. But leadership (though overrated) is also part of running a company well. And it’s the topic of this post.
In spite of what you hear from people who want to sell you seminars and books, leadership comes in all kinds of styles and personalities. Some leaders are not at all charismatic. (Dwight Eisenhower was also Time’s Man of the Year – in 1944). What all leaders have in common is the ability to communicate their vision clearly and consistently. How can people follow you if they don’t know where you’re going? If they could see the vision without you, they wouldn’t need you to lead them. You do have a vision, don’t you? If the word “vision” sound too much like consultant-speak, substitute “a direction you’re leading the company in”
Hint, “More sales and bigger profits for me!” is usually not a very inspiring vision, at least to other people. But there’s probably some reason you chose to look for profits in this particular company at this particular time. For most entrepreneurs there’s some passion there (god knows it’s not logic that keeps us going all the time). That passion can be inspiring to others. Tap into it for your vision/direction.
Don’t get discouraged if you feel like you’re repeating yourself. In fact, if you aren’t bored hearing the same things come out of your mouth again and again, you aren’t repeating yourself enough.
Takeaways:
- Figure out what direction you’re leading people – it usually comes from some passion
- Discover how to communicate that vision clearly
- Communicate it over and over and over and over
