Twinkle-twinkle their wide eyes,
Yes they wonder - are you wise ?
Up above their role so high,
Like a diamond in their sky ….
When my daughter was small , many
a time I have seen her in front of the
mirror, draped in one of my sarees , lip
gloss on her face, my laptop bag by her side, talking to herself . She must
have conjured up how my office looked like , how I talk to my team and then created her own dream world.
Similarly, the team emulates their leader. They talk like her.
They pick up her traits – both good and bad. So, Being a leader is not easy.
The leader has to walk the talk. She leads from the front. She has to walk the
tightrope between what is right bas her role in the organization and her
personal beliefs.
The following are some of the
things which I have practised and they have worked for me .
- Be Courteous–The team is in awe of the leader. She holds a position of power and authority. So when she is courteous and acts in the same way with people at different levels in the hierarchy, she earns respect.
- Be Fair - Fairness is a quality which sometimes in practical scenarios , is difficult to practice. Nevertheless, some leaders do this naturally and some learn. Fairness is one of the key traits of a leader.
- Laugh at Yourself – All great leaders have a huge sense of humour. They have the ability to look at the bigger picture. I have seen tense situations melt away when the leader stood up and had a hearty laugh at herself.
- Open the doors – Both literally and metaphorically. If the leader has a personal office, keep the doors open. It signifies her openness. While talking to the people below you in the organizational hierarchy, make them comfortable. A leader exudes warmth and friendliness. The team does not feel threatened. And once their hearts opens to you, they become your biggest allies. Forever.
And see them shine like diamonds.
A good manager or a good leader...???
ReplyDeletewhich one is better in our IT culture.
I think a good leader can always be a good manager. But vice versa is not true! :)
DeleteBang on Priya !
DeleteGaurav, A good leader is a prized possession in not only any industry but in all faces of life. To explain the difference between Manager and a leader - when a team is supposed to cross a jungle, the manager plans for the path, the time, assesses the risks and directs the team. A leader will do all these and will say " Team lets go !" He will go on top of the tree, look at the road ahead and say "All is well" and then take the sword and start cutting the big grasses and obstacles , with a torch will show the way for his team to follow him.
I dont agree that a good leader is always a good manager. Not all good leaders have the capability to show the vision, keep the tam inspired and get down to the nitty gritty details of status check, timeline readjustment, etc. There are people who are good at being a leader & a manager. But it is not the norm. You should read Strengths Finder 2.0. It has divided strengths into 4 categories - Strategy, Relationship Building, Execution & Selling. Good leader usually has strengths in Strategy & Relationship Building. A good manager has to have strengths in Execution. Some people have strengths that cover all these areas but not all. So it is a misnomer to say all good leaders are good managers. The book is based on > 30 years of research and has great examples. There is an online test that reveals your strengths too. It is highly recommended. :)
ReplyDeletePrateek, You are right. It is not necessary that a good leader is always a good manager and vice versa. Will read the book recommended by you.
Delete