Leadership Should Never be About the Leader

Following the recent general election in the United Kingdom, the new Parliament's first task was to elect a speaker. In the UK, the speaker, despite being a politician who previously represented a party, is expected to maintain strict neutrality. Their primary role is to uphold order in the House of Commons and to ensure that the rules are correctly followed. This commitment to the correct application of rules is a key aspect of the UK's parliamentary system, ensuring fairness and equality for all.

By tradition, when a speaker has been elected, they pretend to be dragged to their new position rather than going willingly. Of course, this is now a pantomime, with fake resistance to a role the speaker is usually pleased to have secured. But like most traditions, it is rooted in fact, as the position of speaker could be a hazardous role if the monarch became angry with Parliament in the past. Although it is very much a good thing that the speaker no longer fears for their life, I think there is an important message about leadership here.

So often, people seem to pursue leadership positions for their own benefit. They want to be in charge so that they can impose their will on others and for the trappings that come with the position. We seem to have forgotten that being a good leader is incredibly difficult, carries great responsibility, and should be about those you lead, not yourself.

Leadership is Hard

I know that this is not a profound insight, but it seems to be something that is often forgotten these days. Compare the pictures of most world leaders before and after they took office. If they were in power for ten years, they probably look as if they have aged 20 or 30 years in that time. Being a leader means making decisions, often very tough decisions. It can mean doing things that you know will be unpopular, and it never relents.

To be a good leader, you must understand those you lead, listen to different viewpoints, and balance priorities. You are the person that people come to when things go wrong, or there is a problem. If anyone thinks this is easy, they have not understood the position properly.

Often, you will be the jam in the sandwich between two furious pieces of bread. You will come under pressure to deliver from those above you and to recognise how difficult things are on the ground from those you lead. Do not get me wrong; this can be enjoyable and rewarding if you are a natural leader. But it is never easy.

However, many who aspire to be leaders seem to forget this difficulty. They seem interested only in leadership to benefit their own agenda or career. We all have personal priorities, and part of being a leader is sometimes setting the agenda. However, it should never just be about what you want or what is best for you, regardless of the impact on others.

?The Burden of Responsibility

It is easy to be in charge when everything goes well and there is credit to be taken. But if you are the person who takes the credit as the leader, you are also the person who must take responsibility when things go wrong. You may not personally have been involved in the decisions and actions that led to the problem, but you have responsibility for the systems and culture that gave rise to them. Others may be responsible for their actions, but you must take responsibility overall. It is hard, but it is part of leadership.

Yet often these days, we see leaders whose primary and often only objective is to distance themselves from anything remotely negative while always popping up to take the merest iota of credit. That is simply not how it works. You may think that you are pulling it off and may be fooling some people, but others will see exactly what is going on, not least those you lead. Behaving like this will cause you to lose credibility and respect like lightning.

Then, there is the duty of care of a leader to those they lead. Increasingly, leaders seem to think that those who work for them are there just as a resource for them to use. Nothing could be further from the truth. Overseeing other people in any capacity is one of the greatest responsibilities that anyone can take on. But it is now an afterthought if it ever arises at all.

If your people are struggling or facing problems, your duty as a leader is to help and support them. Good leaders bring people with them by showing that they care about them, not with empty words. Even worse, people often seem to be struggling with problems caused by their leaders. This is not good enough and is a betrayal of the basic requirements of leadership.

Leadership does not mean just doing what your people ask for. It involves making tough choices. But it does mean listening and working through problems with your people, not just doing things to them. In almost every situation, without people, you have no business or organisation. It is time that many leaders started acting like they understood this.

It is Not About the Leader

A good leader stands and falls with their people. They are not in a safe bunker, while others take all the risks. They are not there to be served and revered while someone else does the work. They are there to set direction, to help those they lead to perform at their best, and to fight for their people and their organisation. If they do all this well, they deserve to be rewarded properly, as does anyone who does a good job. However, leadership should never be something you do just for yourself and what you can get out of it. But sadly, that seems to be exactly the defining characteristic of many leaders today. That has to change.