Are You Sure You Want To Be a Leader?

Following on from my article about disruptors, what we really need are strong leaders. However leadership is not for everyone. The internet is full of articles outlining 10 things that great leaders do or don't do, and make leadership seem easy and something we should all aspire to be.

These articles are often brief summaries of more in depth books that discuss the issues in much more depth than the average internet attention span allows for. It's this detail that is cruicial, not the 10 headings. Leadership is not something you can learn from blog posts.

The first thing about leaders is they're all different. There are common behavioural traits in some cases, but in order to be a leader, and what it feels like to lead is different for everyone.

Is having a life full of everyday joy, safety, surrounded by supportive loving friends and family helping you through every moment, stress free, nights sleeping like a baby and knowing every day why you're doing what you're doing sound like your kind of thing?

Then leadership is most definitely not for you.

There's nothing wrong with not being a leader, in fact without a great team, leaders are worthless or won't last long. It's better to be a follower than be a bad leader.

How do you become a leader?

Every journey is different. Even each time you are in a leadership role. Often no one really asks do you want to be a leader? One day you can find yourself doing something you're passionate about and then next you have a team and have to lead as a result. This has happened to me twice - in filmmaking and within a tech startup. Leading was never the intention, the passion was, bringing people together to create something under a common vision.

What do you do when you realise you're a leader?

You wouldn't be a leader without your team. You must treat them with the dignity and respect you want from them, but you need to think of the whole team. If anyone isn't playing well (whether or not it's your fault) it's up to you to rectify it. It's not all fun and games, you have to make the tough decisions. Bad leaders will often skip the bad decisions or try and delegate them. Or worse, they'll only think of their needs, and not the team as a whole.

What are the leadership rules?

There are none. You've got to learn as you go, or if you have time beforehand, read as much as you can, watch TED videos, and learn as much as you can from others, including from your own team. Follow closely people you believe in. Don’t just read internet meme’s quoting people, especially as they may or may not be true, or may require further context. Especially ignore lists that basically say the same thing under each of the 10 items (i.e be happy, creative, passionate, a role model). If it was that easy we'd all be leaders.

Leadership is such a complex trait that there is no right and wrong way to be a leader. Leaders in warfare often need to be tough with their team in order to ensure that mistakes aren’t made and everyone stays alive. Leaders in more creative endeavours can make mistakes, along with the people that they are working with. We often use the phrase "no one will die" when situations are becoming stressful, to put it in perspective. Budgets might get broken but they're easier to recover from. So failing, trying again, and rewarding good work is key here.

Create a Vision

... and stick to it.

It’s Hard Work

Being a follower is much easier, that is why most people in the world follow others and look to their leaders in times of crisis. It's easier to find problems than solutions. Being a good leader won’t necessarily result in you becoming happier, richer, and looked upon with admiration by your peers. You’ll probably be criticised, blamed, and others will think they can do better than you. You need to believe in yourself and accept from the beginning that it is very hard work, otherwise there would be many more good leaders in the world. Don't aim to be a leader to inflate your own ego. The best leaders are humble, the worst are insecure and afraid to admit it. There's nothing wrong with insecurity, but hiding it is good for no one. If you have someone you can open up to, even better.

Know when to delegate and let go

A good leader brings together talented people, often more talented than they themselves are in certain skills. Don't be afraid to admit that you're not the best at something. Find someone else who is, and keep encouraging and supporting them to be the best. Don't keep beating yourself up over what you're not good at. Good leaders lead great people.

Admit when you make mistakes

Don't try and hide your mistakes if you mess up. Tell people, especially those following you so that they can learn too. Thank those who help you fix your mistakes both personally and publicly where appropriate. Don't steal their praise and lie about your successes. I've seen "leaders" who've led me do this and it makes me doubt all their abilities when I spot them lying publicly. People will see through this easily and will start to question all your achievements.

No one has "made it"

Real learning begins after formal education ends. You'll likely learn more useful skills & knowledge in your first year in a job than several in school. Learning doesn't end. If you think you know it all, chances are you know very little. The world is changing at a huge pace. Even those you admire are still figuring it out.

Watch your health

It has the potential to impact you in ways you often won't realise until it's too late.

Aim to keep learning and you'll become a better leader each day. Leaders aren't born, they choose the harder and more challenging route. Leadership is not for everyone. So only strive to be one if you are willing to accept the good and the bad. Especially the bad.