In good times and in bad, one thing people want is leadership. They want reassurance, they want to know what the point of it all is, they want to be acknowledged and appreciated, challenged, and inspired.
While I firmly believe everyone can be a good leader, not everyone has the will. Some are not ready for the responsibility, scarred, perhaps by bad experiences. Mulish leaders enjoy the power and perks of the position, but they don’t care too much about the people. These are lousy leaders, driven primarily by unchecked ego and greed, and when good people chose not to lead, lousy leaders fill the void. I hope you agree that we don’t need that kind of energy in 2021.
We, as always, need leaders with stamina, empathy, intelligence, and dignity. Humanity requires organizations to perform in ways that benefit people, the planet, and profits. It’s this century’s triple bottom line and is a requirement for success, not a “nice to have.”
Some of you are inclined to focus on results, others on relationships. Here’s a newsflash for those who have not been paying attention — both are required to be successful. That means you must collaborate with others who have a disposition that differs from your own, and you must cultivate skills that may be challenging to you. Welcome to adulthood.
Everyone acknowledges that 2020 was difficult, by many measures, and you persevered. You should not expect that 2021 or any subsequent years will get easier. We have many considerable challenges ahead of us. I’d like to see you take the lead in confronting a few of those challenges without becoming a jerk. When you’re ready, give me a call. I’d like to see if there’s a way to assist you.