Allow me to appeal to accuracy and drop a hefty dose of reality for the leadership gurus. Effective leadership is not about pandering to individuals or making sure everyone gets along or gets everything they want out of life. Instead, it is about getting all of our arrows pointed in the same direction and ensuring that all efforts are moving in that direction. Another way to say it might be that while effective leadership comprises many things, a big part of it is about ensuring everyone is aligned with the organization’s vision, helping individuals become masters of their craft, and helping the team navigate their differences along the way.
That’s right! People have differences! Some people are better at some things than others. And even if they share a common vision, these differences can still clash. However, that does not mean things have to break down, nor does it mean one side is not a fit. This is especially true if the leader knows what they are doing.
Leadership-trained leaders understand that conflicting personalities and values can coexist within a successful team and that leadership should not pander to the whims of the individual to either fix them or prevent them. Those are two ideas you probably will not see on a LinkedIn meme any time soon. Yet, they are true, nonetheless. Do you want to be right, or do you want to be accurate?
I would argue that as long as there is a common purpose, different personalities and approaches can be a great thing. In fact, individual differences, when combined with common goals, often contribute to the team’s success by bringing diverse perspectives and strengths to the table. However, acquiring highly skilled and motivated professionals who share the organization’s vision is critical to making this work. A great example of what I am talking about here might be the Jordan-Rodman scenario. That amazing outcome was not about cultural fit, making friends, and equal things. What we learned from that was that shared goals and values, complementary skills and expertise, and effective communication and collaboration all play a significant role in determining team effectiveness and success.
Understand that successful organizations have a clear and compelling vision or purpose that inspires and motivates employees to work towards a common goal. In many ways, the leader merely keeps everyone focused on what matters. You could have the best team in the world, and a horrible leader will destroy the potential. Conversely, you could have the best leader in the world and a team that desires something other than what the leader wants, and you will likely get failure. Therefore, it behooves organizations to hire vision-oriented leaders and individuals who can align themselves with those goals and values and who are eager to help the organization achieve them. Doing so ensures that employees are motivated and engaged in their work and that they are working towards that common purpose.
Conversely, hiring individuals with conflicting ambitions or values can create unnecessary tensions within the organization and often leads to reduced productivity and morale. Similarly, attempting to “serve” those individual ambitions, especially those that conflict with organizational goals, not only detracts from organizational goals but can also frustrate team members who recognize the distraction.
This part of the discussion is easy. The key to building a successful team is identifying and acquiring individuals who contribute positively to the team’s goals and objectives and aligning their individual ambitions and motivations with the broader goals of the organization. Similarly, it means identifying and letting go of individuals who proactively hinder or derail organizational objectives – not pandering to them.
While it is important to recognize and support individual development and growth, it is ultimately the responsibility of leaders to ensure that individual ambitions and goals do not detract from the organization’s overall success, and it is absolutely vital that leaders do not give in or pander to detracting ambitions of an individual. That’s a tough job. And frankly, that basically eliminates Servant Leadership from the tool-belt. It also places Reasoned Leadership at the forefront.
Effective leadership involves striking a balance between supporting individual development and growth while also fostering a culture of collaboration, teamwork, and accountability toward shared organizational goals. However, the key here is understanding the phrase “shared organizational goals.” If a worker does not share the goal or is not aligned with it, they should absolutely not be part of the team. We need full adoption of the organization’s vision. Leaders need a deep understanding of the organization’s unique dynamics and needs, as well as a willingness to adapt and evolve in response to changing circumstances and shifting priorities. Of course, that is where leadership development comes in.
Vent Session
I will close out this article with another seemingly controversial idea. There is no soft way to say this, so I will be blunt. Not everyone is a leader, and not everyone is capable of leading. I’m sorry, but that is just how it is. And I’m sorry, but if you are not leadership-educated, you have no business teaching leadership. It breaks my heart to hand tissues to someone who has been devastated by some guru telling them that they need to be something that they are clearly not.
Look, not everyone wants to make important decisions, take on additional responsibilities, or influence others. Some people lack charisma, confidence, strategic thinking skills, and the ability to communicate like a seasoned professional. Sure, some of these can be learned, but not everyone has the aptitude or interest in development, learning things outside of their craft, or working with a team. Heck, biologically speaking, not everyone can formulate a vision.
Frankly, some people are better suited to technical or creative skills than to leadership skills. And finally, some are quite content to be the best followers they can be. And you know what? That’s okay! There is nothing wrong with that. Leaders need followers, and followers need leaders.
If you want to be different, be accurate. In this age when everyone thinks they are a leadership expert, perhaps embracing the fact that you are not one affords you a unique advantage. But to truly understand the importance of what I am saying here, I want you to think about these non-leaders from their perspective. Imagine constantly being told you should have all these leadership traits, characteristics, and skills, even though you don’t, or have no interest in them. How would that make you feel?
Trying to tell a non-leader that they should exercise the skills and attributes they do not have is likely to only further alienate them and make them feel like something is wrong with them. Well, that is not the case. Nothing is wrong with them. They are every bit as important as the leader. Everyone has unique and valuable skills and strengths, and it’s important to embrace those strengths, whether they are leadership-oriented or not.
Seriously!
