What is the 'Legacy of Leaders'?
As you look across internet articles about leadership, there is a lot said about how to become a leader but it strikes me that I haven't seen a lot of comment on what is left when a leader moves on. How has a particular 'leader' affected the lives of those that 'buy' into the vision of that said leader, what is the impact, how are they left feeling, how does it affect their identity as people?
This is what we are going to explore in this post. My hope from this post is that you will become ever more aware of your responsibility as a manager, director, and leader in shaping the lives of those that listen to you or work for you. How will those 'followers' have benefited from having you in their lives long after you have delivered the objectives that you were tasked with?
The vision
What is a 'vision'?
Having a vision is having imagination. As a manager, senior manager or executive, you will be answerable to someone for the work that you do. You will have been given a number of objectives that you need to deliver on. You will own the responsibility for those objectives and it will be your job to 'imagine' what it will be like to have achieved them and how you will do it. Your vision for what needs to be done needs to be clear otherwise it is difficult to plan. Equally, it is important to know the 'Why'. If you don't know the why behind the objectives then it is difficult for you to buy into the vision of your line manager. If you can't buy into it, how are the people below you going to buy into it. In fact how is your organisation going to rally behind you to achieve what you need to achieve ?
One of the quickest ways to demoralise a team is for them to be told what to do without a clear expression of what the vision is. How are their actions going to make anything better for anyone? As a leader you can help your team members start to form their own visions of what they want to achieve within the remit that you have set. This helps them to develop their thinking ready for when they might be in similar shoes to yours one day.
The feeling
We are, what we feel. If we are stressed, we become stressed with others. If we are angry then we will be angry with others, if we de-value the people around us then perhaps we are teaching those in our team that it is OK to de-value others just as long as you get what you need to move you forward.
However, if we value others and like a conductor bring together the many skills in our team to focus on the objectives in a kind but focused way, then we will have a team of people who feel motivated because they want to help you to get the objectives delivered. You will have built a level of loyalty, possibly the most valuable commodity within a team.
In your hands is the power to bring positivity and light and not negativity and darkness to the moral of your team. Leave your team in a good place and your team members will be inspired to do the same to others.
Identity
Identity. This is something that marketeers so love to achieve across a company organisation. They want the employees to take ownership of the identity of the company by making it their own.
We see it in every day life that people are desperate for identity. Thousands of people go to listen to a concert in large venues. Not only to listen to music but to identify with each other. It is part of the joy of being at a concert. It feels good to be in a large room with thousands of people all enjoying the same thing.
This is important for your team in getting objectives delivered, but it also highlights how much we need the rich tapestry of skills that we gain from being in a team. More can be done from more people working together than a bunch of individuals trying to out do each other. This is a lesson that stays with us for many years to come as we evolve into our management roles.
The takeaway
So here is the 'takeaway', you have a responsibility to be the leader that brings out the best in people, not only in getting the job done but also in their development. If you don't care about that, should you really be in that leadership position?
John Hicks is a performance coach for scientists facilitating enhanced performance, the development of careers and leadership skills. For more information go to www.coachingforscientists.com