A Leader or Leech…..

Introduction :

Leadership is a very wide term, but used very commonly without even understanding the meaning of it. Most of the leaders today lead a team missing most of the important qualities.

Who should be a leader?

We receive our degrees by appearing in competitions and passing various tests. However, leadership is the position, achieved without passing any examination. You would argue that all leaders come up by achieving certain benchmarks in their respective fields. Agree. I dont doubt. But is that the qualification for being a good leader? Is this the qualification to lead and guide the team in the correct direction? I don't agree. A leader should be chosen not on the basis of how much business target he has achieved. Leader should be selected on the basis of a lot of other qualities in a person, such as -

? How empathetic he/she is?

? How much respect does he/she pays to his team members?

? Is he/she a good visionary to foresee future challenges?

? Does he have qualities to drive the team from front instead of pushing them like a herd?

? Is he/she self disciplined?

? Does he/she have a high level of integrity?

? Does he/she have decisiveness?

? Is he/she confident in handling the difficult situation?

? Can he/she communicate clearly/Effectively?

? Is he/she inspirational?

? Can he/she delegate effectively?

Do you feel today the leaders are selected on these grounds? I have not seen the selection being done on these grounds in my 18 years of corporate experience.

How are leaders selected in reality today?

Leaders are selected today based on one or more of the following criterias -

● If one achieves high volume targets against their peer

● Person showing big pictures to the management, but not sure of delivering it

● Favouritism

● Junior helping in personal favours

● Seniority and experience

● Person studied from top B-school

Will this be a leader or Leech?

By selection of leaders in the above manner, are we ultimately selecting a leader? Or this is just a Boss? The person not selected with right selection, ends up being a Leech, instead of Leader.

Leech?? Yes, he won't be contributing anything in the development of the team. He would be only surviving on the qualities of his team. The Achievements of his team would be masked by him to show his achievements in most cases.

Like a leech surviving on the blood of others, such team leads survive on the work done by their team members. Leaders contribute positively to their environments, inspire others, and work towards common goals.

On the other hand, a Leech typically refers to someone who exploits others for personal gain without providing any value in return. In various contexts, it is essential to recognize and promote leadership qualities while being cautious of behaviors that might resemble a leech-like approach.

Leadership is generally associated with adding value, fostering growth, and creating positive change.

Conclusion :

Next time you are selecting a team lead, please look at qualities in the person. His high target achievement may not lead him to be a good leader always.