The leadership journey

Today's Business Lessons

The leadership journey
 

BUSINESS MATTERS (BEYOND THE BOTTOM LINE) 

By Francis J. Kong (The Philippine Star) 

August 12, 2012 

Have you ever been kicked from the rear? Have you ever been maligned? Have you ever experienced the pain of being backbitten, backstabbed, slandered and had all things of false accusations hurled against you? If you have, then congratulations! Welcome to the leadership club.

Fulton Sheen says it beautifully. He says: “When you are getting kicked from the rear it means you’re in front.” THIS IS CALLED THE LEADERSHIP JOURNEY.

Good leaders have passed through different fires of adversity. They are tough. They are like tempered steel, they have been through a lot, and this is why they know how to lead their people. My partners and I represent the John C. Maxwell leadership training programs and there is just a wealth of leadership lessons I have picked up from Maxwell that I now share in my seminars.

Maxwell says: There are many people in the world who are willing to give advice on things they’ve never experienced. They are like bad travel agents. They sell you an expensive ticket and say: “I hope you enjoy the trip!” Then you never see them again. In contrast, good leaders are like tour guides. They know the territory because they’ve made the trip before and they do what they can to make the trip enjoyable and successful for everybody. The term “Been there done that” is so real to good leaders. And because they have gone through it, they now lead their people through it too and they don’t bail out.

A leader’s credibility begins with personal success -- this is the start of the journey. It ends with helping others achieve personal success -- but this is not the end of the leadership journey. The completion of the journey is when the good leader produces more good leaders who will help others start and complete their journey.

To gain credibility, as a good leader you should consistently demonstrate three things:

1. Initiative. You have to get up to go up.

2. Sacrifice. You have to give up to go up.

3. Maturity. You have to grow up to go up.

If you show the way, your people would want to follow you. The higher you go, the greater the number of people who will be willing to travel with you. Leadership is not a title. And neither is it an entitlement. Leadership is not a right. It is a responsibility. Some bosses behave more like jerks who oppress rather than inspire. These are people without skills and they need some serious training.

There are good leaders and there are bad leaders. The difference between the two lies in the most glaring fault of bad leaders in that they bail out when the situation becomes bad. The good leaders on the other hand face the trials with humility and resolve to make things better putting the interest of his people first before his own.

Leadership is always important because of this sobering thought: “Leadership begins with you but it’s not about you.” For he who wants to lead must first be a servant. And this is great advice.