The article below was written by Hiroshi Mikitani who is known as a thought leader in today's world. I felt it went well with my series of leadership articles I have posted over the last year or so. Once again, a key focus is self assessment and belief, keeping an eye on the detail while having a greater vision. Too often we get caught up in the day to day operations and lose focus. The ability to re-focus periodically, take a step back an view the organisation from different perspectives (both internal and external), is another key element in my perspective.
Roland Weber
October 18, 2012
Roland Weber
What is a leader? In my experience, a successful leader is made up of three critical elements. A leader is a general, a teacher and an optimist. You can be all three if you understand what skills and behaviors make up each of these traits.
A General. Many young people assume a general is simple the leader at the front of the pack shouting orders. But this is not the behavior of a great general. If you all you are doing – as a team leader, a division leader or a CEO – is giving orders, you are not displaying the necessary “general” behavior. A great general is a strategist. Strategists work out problems not just in the near term but also considering the overarching strategy for the full group in the future. Think of it as if you were skiing. You don’t just look right in front of you. You also must look into the distance and prepare for that terrain ahead. The ability to engage in strategic thought is critical to great leadership.
A Teacher. Those who rise to leadership positions often have tremendous confidence in their own actions and judgments. But can they teach others to follow in their footsteps? It’s the difference between being a great athlete and a great coach. You may be a first rate baseball player, but can you teach another to do what comes to you as second nature? It’s not that easy. In order to really teach something properly, you must transform the knowledge of a genius into something average person can understand. You must be able to translate your intuition into ordinary, understandable words. It is a huge challenge, but a critical one. You can’t create and sustain a great company without a strong teaching element running through it. You may hire the most talented people in the world, but it is a reality that some of them will eventually leave your firm. You need the construct to transfer abilities from person to person. That activity begins with you.
An Optimist. To climb the tallest mountain, you must believe you can set an outrageous goal and achieve it. To lead others to this remarkable feat, you must be able to convey your enthusiasm for the challenge to them. The leader who says, “Well, just climb up as far as you can go” will not get the same response as “We can make it to the top! I am confident. Follow me!”
Wherever you are on the leadership hierarchy today – whether you currently lead a team or a division or a company – these three elements are the key ingredients to your success and to the success of those who follow you.
Original post: Mikitani, H (2012), LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20121018130617-52782505-the-three-elements-of-a-great-leader
A General. Many young people assume a general is simple the leader at the front of the pack shouting orders. But this is not the behavior of a great general. If you all you are doing – as a team leader, a division leader or a CEO – is giving orders, you are not displaying the necessary “general” behavior. A great general is a strategist. Strategists work out problems not just in the near term but also considering the overarching strategy for the full group in the future. Think of it as if you were skiing. You don’t just look right in front of you. You also must look into the distance and prepare for that terrain ahead. The ability to engage in strategic thought is critical to great leadership.
A Teacher. Those who rise to leadership positions often have tremendous confidence in their own actions and judgments. But can they teach others to follow in their footsteps? It’s the difference between being a great athlete and a great coach. You may be a first rate baseball player, but can you teach another to do what comes to you as second nature? It’s not that easy. In order to really teach something properly, you must transform the knowledge of a genius into something average person can understand. You must be able to translate your intuition into ordinary, understandable words. It is a huge challenge, but a critical one. You can’t create and sustain a great company without a strong teaching element running through it. You may hire the most talented people in the world, but it is a reality that some of them will eventually leave your firm. You need the construct to transfer abilities from person to person. That activity begins with you.
An Optimist. To climb the tallest mountain, you must believe you can set an outrageous goal and achieve it. To lead others to this remarkable feat, you must be able to convey your enthusiasm for the challenge to them. The leader who says, “Well, just climb up as far as you can go” will not get the same response as “We can make it to the top! I am confident. Follow me!”
Wherever you are on the leadership hierarchy today – whether you currently lead a team or a division or a company – these three elements are the key ingredients to your success and to the success of those who follow you.
Original post: Mikitani, H (2012), LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20121018130617-52782505-the-three-elements-of-a-great-leader
