When I was growing up, I thought a leader was someone who could solve any problem and lead his team to achieve incredible results. I also believed leaders were those in the highest and most important positions in an organization and that, from up there, they could influence people and make a big impact. In my mind, they were mythical figures and therefore difficult to find — something like a superhero in real life. Leadership seemed to me like a “superpower” reserved for only a few.
Except for one detail in the previous paragraph that we can comment on later, the young version of myself was almost completely wrong. John Maxwell, in his book “The 360 Degree Leader,” describes in detail what he calls leading from the middle or from anywhere in the organization. It turns out that anyone in an organization, regardless of their position, can be a leader. And even more surprising, leaders do not have to be few or rare. Internalizing this and breaking the previous stereotype can be a powerful tool for personal, professional or organizational growth.
SOFT SKILLS AND LEADERSHIP
MYTHS OF THE SUPERHERO LEADER:
It is necessary to have a “title” to be a leader
Some people wait for someone superior to give them the authority to lead others. The problem is that this authority, at a practical level, is not something that can be assigned or transferred from one person to another. True leadership is achieved through a human relationship by building trust between two persons.
That is the key. Leadership does not require a title, but it does take time and effort to build this trust. So a junior, without any problem, can cultivate this power of influence with his peers (sideways) or his superiors (upwards) to lead them in some aspects.
You need to be at the top to lead
Closely associated with the previous myth is that leadership needs a position. A common thought when you’re a junior or a newbie to a team is, “When I’m a leader, I’ll figure out how to positively influence others.”
The main problem with thinking like this is that it reinforces the idea that leadership is a power inherited or awakened from one moment to another. But the reality is that it is a journey of growth and learning. When the opportunity to exercise leadership presents itself, be prepared to do so. But if you’ve never tried it when the opportunity comes, it will be too late to prepare. The key then is to exercise leadership little by little, and do it from the current position; don’t wait for that magical opportunity.
A leader has all the answers
One of the qualities many expect from a leader is that they are competent in their area. A high technical competence can indeed facilitate the creation of trust and cultivate the power of influence in other people. But in today’s world, where human knowledge is growing rapidly, it is very likely that the leader will not know everything.
A good leader transmits confidence in his area, but knows his limitations and accepts them with humility. Furthermore, a leader surrounds himself with people better than him and who can complement each other. So a leader doesn’t have to know all the answers, but may know who to ask and will give appropriate credit.
Leaders are rare
This myth arises as an indirect consequence of the first two, believing that a leader has to be at the top of the organization or have a specific title. There may not be as many leadership positions in the organization as there are potential leaders. But instead, we start from the paradigm that it is possible to lead from any position or title; then there is no limit to the number of leaders that can be cultivated within any organization or team. The key is you can be a leader in very specific parts of a process, and this provides even more room for different people.
Some Principles of Leadership
Leading is the process of influencing another person. The classical thinking is that this influence flows from the top down. Breaking this paradigm implies not only putting aside the previous myths that limit our potential for influence but also taking actions that allow us to improve our ability to lead other people regardless of the direction (up, next or down).
LEAD YOURSELF
The first step in leading other people is managing yourself. If you don’t follow yourself, why should anyone else? Leading other people takes time and effort. To be able to do this, we must first free up space in our agenda and have several aspects of ourselves well managed, such as:
1. Work2. Personal life 3.
Energy level and motivation
The first point seems obvious, but the impression and energy transmitted to others is our first point of contact. If after that external impression you are competent in routine tasks and have a personal life that does not interfere with your work, then you can dedicate effort to other people.
The same people who expect a superior to give them the power to lead a process, a project or another person often miss opportunities right in front of them, such as when a volunteer is requested, someone asks for help or we have an idea during a conversation. All of these are opportunities to build trust with other people and to be able at that time or in the future to exercise leadership with them. The good thing about this is again, these are simple actions that can be done in any direction.
A simple question such as “How can I help?” with a boss will create a positive and open dialogue. While if you are the boss, the same question will convey trust and commitment. Toward a colleague, it could generate camaraderie and a feeling of support at work.
LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT PEOPLE
Although most metrics of an organization or a project are expressed in numbers, these numbers are the result of the work of a human being, regardless of the industry or sector you work in: finance, manufacturing, education or technology. All businesses are “businesses of people and for people.”
Likewise, regardless of the project or the industry, leadership is about people. The success of the projects, the green numbers, and the impressive results good leaders achieve are direct consequences of the work, time and effort the leader invests in his people. Leading yourself is a requirement to have time and dedicate it to another person. And having initiative is an excuse and a good strategy to approach other people and spend time with them.
The value of a leader is in the success of those with whom he works. To those who have dedicated time and effort, a leader builds human relationships, and this translates into the ability to generate influence in any direction from wherever he is. His influence can be palpable and ephemeral, as it could be directing a meeting that ends up being part of a very successful project. You could even go unnoticed by many by making a comment that changes the course of a project or an important decision. Or it can be part of the routine by being responsible for a large team.
Going back to the beginning, what my young self was correct about is that much like superheroes who are dedicated to saving people, leaders are devoted to helping and inspiring others. The difference is that we can all access that superpower.
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