Most of us can be managers. The role of a leader is however one that only a handful have what it takes to play. Assuming that good academic credentials and a wealth of relevant on-job experience is a given, most leadership hopefuls are rarely aware that the role requires a lot more. A lot more that is not taught in school —not even in Ivy League schools.
You see; managers get people to do what they are required to do. Leaders on the other hand – even those who are managers have a higher role; they accomplish their goals by influencing others to want to do what they are required to do. The leadership role requires a profound appreciation of people if you’re to effectively influence them. The reason why there are very few leaders is that very few of us come with the interest, depth, insight, empathy, patience and foresight built in them to go beyond staff resumes and organisational bottom lines.
Meeting corporate goals requires good resumes. Great leaders do not manage performance to meet goals. They envision winning relationships with their teams to surpass objectives, by delighting clients, rewarding staff and enriching shareholders. They comprehend that behind good resumes are unique individuals, not subjects to fit into categories according to job scales and pay-grades.
Leaders understand that each person faces life’s difficulties, but are just doing their best to live with being human. They are women dealing with living in the shadows of prettier, smarter sisters and workmates. They are probably single and childless women hiding from nosy aunties asking about when they will finally marry at every family gathering. Wives battling with loneliness in unhappy marriages or living with physical abuse, too afraid to live as divorcees.
Mistresses living in fear of social rejection, single mothers barely managing to keep up with the humongous task of providing for their children. They are overweight and tired of dealing with uncomfortable judgemental stares in every public space that they go to.
People working under leaders are men grappling with alcohol and drug addiction, anger management challenges and/or sexual disfunction in their lives. Men buckling under the weight of the financial support to tens of extended family members passed on to them by polygamous fathers and demanding mistresses pregnant expecting unplanned babies. They are homosexual men living in the closet afraid of prosecution and public ridicule, and so on.
While we might argue that some of these challenges are self-inflicted, leaders appreciate that behind each good resume is a living person that comes with different, private experiences and pre-dispositions which consequently affect their work-style. They know that each team member comes with hangovers from previous experiences and that if and when understood, and nurtured, produce meaningful output.
Knowing that the most productive teams are created by the diversity contributed by each member, leaders are the empathetic visionaries able to see the diamonds in the rough that most people are.
They take the time to understand each key person in their teams and learn what drives them. It is a painstakingly long and arduous effort in patience and human acceptance.
Only smart leaders who acknowledge that their privileged positions are hinged upon the well-being of the people they lead have the presence of mind to do this. It is not easy work dealing people’s proclivities – that’s why leaders enjoy the highest rewards in any organisation.
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