I have trained thousands of executives here and abroad. Leadership trainings are things I do seriously.
I remember one bank executive who told me, “Francis, I attended this program just two months ago and now that I am participating in my manager’s round of training, this seems like a completely new one.”
No two sessions are ever the same. This is why it’s difficult to find someone who can assist me perfectly. Some speakers and trainers follow their manuals and PowerPoint presentations carefully and faithfully, but my assistants have to be intuitive and run after me with the correct slides I need to present. And some of these slides aren’t even part of the planned script.
No two sessions are the same because participants have different needs. My job as a trainer is not to present what I have prepared, but to be prepared to offer materials that would meet their needs.
Leaders have different needs as well. Leaders have different strengths and weaknesses, too. And it is surprising to know that many leaders out there are so concerned with image management that they are constantly projecting their strengths but covering up their weaknesses. They equate weaknesses with leadership flaws, which is the furthest from truth.
Trust is the foundation of leadership. The best way to earn trust is to not put up a show of invincibility. This actually erodes trust. A leader’s admission of vulnerability is a key to build trust and credibility. It only shows that the leader is human and is secure enough to seek help.
Heed this quote from Andy Stanley, “Don’t strive to be a well-rounded leader. Instead, discover your zone and stay there. Then delegate everything else. Admitting a weakness is a sign of strength. Acknowledging weakness doesn’t make a leader less effective.”
Leadership is not just about making sure things are created correctly. Because why else would we have buzzwords like “fail faster, succeed sooner”?
Everybody makes mistakes and leaders are not exempted from this.
Leadership is about getting things done right through other people whose strengths may be the leader’s weaknesses.
Great leaders are always on the lookout for potential future leaders. And they allow these winning prospects to shine. Insecure leaders want the SPOTLIGHT, LIMELIGHT and all the flashings focused on them.
If they found persons in the organization that are bright, brilliant and carrying potential, they will do everything within their power to pull down these prospective future leaders.
What they don’t understand is that leaders are constantly under the SEARCH LIGHT. They are being watched and judged all the time.
If there is something you are weak at, admit it and ask for help. Your people will be more than willing to lend you a hand. Everyone in the organization benefits when the leader delegates responsibilities that fall outside his or her core competencies.
Thoughtful delegation will allow someone else in the organization to excel and at the same time, allow the leader to spot a high potential future leader. When a leader complains that there is no one in his or her department/organization is capable of doing things then it is an open admission of the leader’s failure.
The people who follow the leaders are exactly in the very spot and place where the leaders have led them.
Jack Welch says it very well, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
Manage yourself and lead others. This is the way it should be.
You can connect with Francis Kong through Facebook at www.facebook.com/franciskong2 or listen to his program called “Business Matters” from Monday to Friday at 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.