Leza Parker: Lead with your head, not with your heart.

Not everyone has the desire nor the aspirations to become a leader. Likewise, not everyone can be groomed to become a leader. The responsibility of a leader is far more onerous than you would have imagined it to be. I, for one, would never have thought, coming from a humble beginning, would I be spending my days leading hundreds if not thousands of people on a daily basis.

The real question is, how much work and effort is there when it comes to leading?

Certain attributes make a leader. Resilience is one of the main qualities that distinguishes a good leader from a weak leader. As a leader, it is important to be resilient regarding setbacks in order to stay focused on the right path and continue to lead others in the same direction. Failures will not dissuade a leader but rather present an opportunity to improve and do better.

Therefore, a leader needs to be:

·      Emotionally and mentally strong;

·      Pragmatic and practical;

·      Conscientious and equitable; and

·      Highly motivated and outcome driven.

Emotions aside, as humans, we often get quite emotional which has helped us to survive in difficult and challenging situations. While I would not call them weaknesses, as leaders we cannot escape heartbreak, disappointment, tiredness and showing compassion. Although, in these situations, we must strive to maintain self-control and self-awareness and remain just, reliable and capable of leading people. Emotions can often get in the way of making the right choices and decisions both in business and in one’s personal life. Therefore, as a leader, we need to be confident, flexible while maintaining the trust and respect of our people.

At one time, I had the unfortunate experience of terminating an employee. I carefully and thoughtfully documented the case for her dismissal, explaining to her politely and professionally the reasons for the termination and wishing her well in her future endeavours. However, I was startled by her initial reaction as she quickly lost her temper and started cursing my family and using obscenities while throwing things around the office. In this situation, and as a leader, I needed to contain my emotions and restrain myself from taking any inappropriate actions in retaliation. In essence, controlling my language and behaviour.

Containing one’s emotions in these sorts of situations should not be perceived as a sign of weakness. Leaders have the ability to show restraint from displaying feelings that could jeopardise turning a sensitive or awkward situation into a positive or equitable one. As leaders, our primary role and responsibility are to the business which includes developing our people, protecting our shareholders and servicing our customers, which at times is not easy.

Wisdom

The essence of wisdom cannot only learn from others but equally, caring for their well-being. Importantly, both wisdom and knowledge are essential when managing people and their expectations.  It begins with being sensitive and empathetic towards a person’s situation, understanding and acknowledging their strengths and weakness, helping to motivate and improve their outlook, and exercising sound judgment in decision making.

While at times we may disagree with a leader’s decision, we must respect and understand that their position likely carries greater responsibility and accountability compared to our own.

As CEO, I make strategic and operational decisions every day, ranging from approving new and innovative technologies in my company to managing and analysing the performance of our human resources, planning for future growth and sustaining and developing new strategic relationships. My time is often spent examining reports, reviewing decisions made in order to make better ones, answering to shareholders, working with lawyers and building a network of partners. That’s a lot!

From my experience, not everyone will be on the same page as you or agree with your decisions. When decisions need to be made (i.e. terminating and demoting employees, switching providers, recouping losses, streamlining, the release of shares, etc.) these may not be seen as the most favourable decisions. Therefore it is important to carefully consider the implications of any decision made, exploring all options before finally deciding the way forward.

Importantly, there are several points worthy of mentioning. Firstly, see past the emotions that might get aroused, and instead, picture the benefits to the business in the long term. Secondly, look at the practicality of the matter, and how it will ease the burden and motivate the staff.

While someone may be disappointed with the decision made, remember, these emotions are temporary and will soon fade. What is more important, is that your leadership must set the path for the business to flourish and with the people who believe in your vision.

Always decide based on what you think, rather than what you feel.

Follow me on Youtube and my business blog. Over the many years, I've helped businesses grow and raised funding, invested and exited a few, and built my own tech start ups. Feel free to contact me if you need any help for your business.

Read my other articles:

1. The Charismatic Leader
2. You have a voice, so don't wait on others to speak for you.
3. You have no price until someone buys your tag.