INSIGHTS > Do you care enough to lead?
Do you care enough to lead?
What each leader should ask themselves.
Having a senior position in a company has many advantages and perks, and it can be fulfilling. The truth is; however, senior leaders have a great responsibility, and real leadership is a privilege rather than a right.
Senior executives should be asking themselves if they really care to lead.
To be clear, leadership is much more than directing people and solving problems.
Leaders who care to lead understand that engaged people build organizations that can withstand market shocks, agile competitive entrants, and other forces that test the strength of a company. Those organizations who view people as replaceable parts will find that their best assets – people – will seek out leadership from other companies.
If you’re a senior leader, the good news is that people working for you expect you to lead and want you to discover new levels of leadership. Most importantly, they want you to care to lead.
Employees know if you care to lead.
Each day, employees know if you care lead by the words and actions that you demonstrate as a leader.
Here is a small sample of what they’re thinking:
“I know you care to lead because you model leadership with your peers, working across the company to attain great outcomes.”
“I know you care to lead because you build a great team, without favorites, holding us all to a very high standard of performance.”
“I know you care to lead because you are transparent and inclusive, knowing that my performance improves when I have a better understanding of the full picture. “
“I know you care to lead because you seek out my insights and opinions without being threatened by my ideas.”
“I know you care to lead because you trust enough in me enough to delegate not only tasks but results you want me to achieve.”
“I know you care to lead because you don’t micromanage my day, rather, you provide me coachable moments.”
“I know you care to lead because you care enough to challenge me and give me opportunities to grow.”
“I know you care to lead because you provide me frequent constructive feedback and invest in me to succeed.”
“I know you care to lead because you respect my decision even if it’s not the same as yours.”
If you care to lead, you will embrace these leadership tenets, not because someone told you to, but because you know inherently this is the face of leadership.
Or you may not care to lead. You may be in a position of authority and power, but you may be more enamoured with being an executive rather then being a leader.
That makes you my senior. But it doesn’t make you my leader.