It’s important to realize that just because someone holds a position of leadership, doesn’t necessarily mean they should. Put another way, not all leaders are created equal.
An in my opinion the best leaders are the ones who care less about who gets the credit, and more about change and progress. In fact, real leaders have no need to be the greatest or the smartest person in the room, are always open to learning from others, and are acutely aware of how much they don’t know.
Unfortunately in our world today an abundance of ego, pride, and arrogance are often seen as positive leadership traits. But this simply is not true.
Real leaders take the blame and give the credit – not the other way around.
And while love and leadership are certainly two words you don’t often hear in the same sentence, I really believe that great leadership rarely exist without love being present and practiced. Empathy, humility and kindness are signs of leadership strength – not weakness.
Jim Collins calls this kind of leadership – marked by personal humility - ”Level 5 Leadership”. Jesus called it “Servant Leadership”.
But whatever you call it, if you are a leader in any sphere and you have yet to grasp the concept of “service above self” you will never engender the trust, confidence, and loyalty of those you lead. Because lets be honest, any leader is only as good as his or her team’s desire to be led by them.
Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself:
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How are you doing in the humility department?
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Do you find yourself shifting the blame onto others when things go wrong?
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Do you always need to take credit for good decisions you’ve made?
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Do you think those you lead would describe you as kind and empathetic?
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How easy is it for you to accept responsibility for failures that occur on your watch?
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When was the last time you asked someone you lead this question: “What Can I do to help?”?
