Leadership involves getting results, and successful results in human relations. To an important degree, the more people the link and leaders, the results will accrue.
However, the majority leader and the people who lead those relationships look like a one-way street: charismatic leader to be accorded their commonly defined by feelings of the people. But the leadership is really a great two-way street, involving also the feelings that range from leading the people.
We never know how good we are as a leader until they take delight in people that lead and, through this delight, which leads them to obtain better results, as they become better as leaders and as people.
For example, I recently received an email from my company commander that I called a meeting of old. He wrote: "I was the luckiest of the rifle company commander of the Marine Corps when I was surrounded by the best group of lieutenants infantry officer I have ever known. And they were all in our company!"
I had not heard from him in many decades, but I do not remember much what I did, but what he did. He went against the grain of the leadership style and the conduct of some officers who know - the official who awarded the work to be more or less focused on themselves and their careers.
My former company commander, however, got the job done by being inspired by the troops, not alone.
In civilian life, I saw the other leaders to take such a delight and be inspired by people who are leading, and I have come to understand that this trend is actually a powerful, though rarely used tool of leadership.
To use the tool properly, three things must be kept in mind.
1. Delight must be within the context of high expectations results. In your own pleasure, not be hampered by the bigotry of low expectations. My company commander was known to have his men follow the training more difficult and more difficult to recruit positions. He enjoyed his troops, not only for what I wanted to do, but what they challenged me to do. After all, leadership is not about having people do what they want to do. If they wanted they wanted, it would not be necessary as a leader. The leadership is to have people do what they can not decide to do and be committed to do so.
2. Delight must be truthful. Do not try to manipulate people through your joy. When the situation demanded it, my company commander had been brutally honest with us. If we were not measuring up to his high standards, we would like to know from him in a strong and clear. His honesty was a lesson in leadership: the troops are seen as they should be seen not as a want to be seen. Sure, there has irritated many times. But because his honesty helped the troops become better Marines, was finally accepted and even welcomed.
3. Delight must be practical. My company commander was always connected to the pleasure he found in the troops with lessons learned in carrying out missions and best practices that came from the lessons. His joy was not destined to have people feel good about themselves but to motivate them to take actions to be even better. In trying to be better and better in combat, we have consolidated. Clearly, where we were going to go and do what we needed to do, we were often miserable, but despite everything, there was in the back of my mind at least, not the compulsion to let him down - and do not let the other down.
You may not have thought of leadership as an instrument of pleasure, but it is one of the most effective because it goes right to the heart to obtain results through the cementing of the relationship of law. Keeping these three factors in mind when expressing your joy and your guide will be blessed every day with new opportunities.
2006 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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