In the field of leadership, a lot of ink has been running on techniques, strategies, styles, among many other things.
But in the end, what is the essence of leadership?
Does it exist? Is there a magic formula somewhere?
For some years now, I’ve been intensifying my study of leadership issues.
Out of necessity, considering the functions, I have as a leader, on the other hand, for reasons of professional evolution and for having each time challenging training projects in this area. But also, and above all, because I am passionate about the subject.
Those who know me know that when I love something, I am deeply invested in their knowledge and learning.
The question is: what about you?
When was the last time you defaced at the head of your team or company?
Have the musical notes of your leadership always been in tune?
Have you devoted time to learning this subject in your career?
These are questions to think about, and one of my bosses asked me many years ago.
There is a myth out there that leadership is not taught, that it is innate, that it is a waste to train leaders.
Well, if this were the reality, my company would certainly have the days numbered. This area is one of the most successful and profitable.
A leader can come in many forms. What we present below does not exhaust the subject; it only allows us to limit the size of the text of this article.
So, what kind of leader can there be?
You can be a leader by imposition.
In other words, you have been given a role that may or may not correspond to the respect that the team has for you.
You can be a leader by natural immersion.
Faced with the surrounding conditioning, someone needed to take over the process, and he grew up to be able to take over the role, and everyone respects him.
He can be a leader without being one.
In other words, no one has given him a role, but everyone respects him in the team and follows his leadership in an almost unnoticeable way.
No matter how his leadership roles come about, there will be three moments in his life as a leader.
The honeymoon
This is the time when everything is fine, we have been leaders for a short time, everything is rosy, if only because people want to be close to those who have power.
The big dip
Usually, this period begins when the first faults or shortcomings of the leader begin to manifest themselves.
It may be because he does not yet have deep technical knowledge of the area he leads, it may be because he lacks behavioral skills that allow him to communicate and influence effectively, it may be because he made the first unpopular decisions … finally, the reasons may be immense, but what is certain is that sooner or later, this moment will come in the life of each one of us.
And after that comes, usually, “Marriage.”
Marriage is that phase in which things start to normalize, whether it is because of the experience we are acquiring, or because of the “falls” we are taught so much, or even because we invest seriously in our training as leaders, which allows us to greatly diminish our “honeymoon” phase.
This week, please, stop and think:
“Could the honeymoon phase I’m going through be shortened by investing in myself and my leadership resources?”
Also published on Medium.
