Leading Without Ego

The entire world is fighting against corona virus (covid-19). Doctors & Health workers are striving hard with their strong conviction to save human lives, leaving their concern for own-life on 2nd priority. No time for their family and their loved ones. No schedule time for rest. Lack of personal protective equipment. Insufficient testing kits for patients. Inadequate availability of ICU and ventilators. Everywhere the fear of death... Still they have strong hope. Like great warriors they are alert 24 x 7. Trying their level best to cure every patient. They feel the grief when a life is lost. Even some of them got infected. Some are struggling for life on ventilators. But the fear could not cut their spirit down. Never surrendered. Great Conviction. Not even taken a break for weeks. No other agenda. They are just ready to serve mankind. They are the Leaders with self-conviction and strong determination without any ego.

What binds them together?

A bigger purpose with Strong sense of accountability, Strong passion to serve with conviction & self-inspired dynamic Leadership skills.

Changing Leadership style

The time has changed. In the modern business, the term “Management” is out dated. World, Nations & Organizations need more Leaders than Managers. Managers control but leaders bind people together by facilitating, motivating & Inspiring. In the modern operation, the concept “controlling people” has been obsolete.

World is full of Managers but short of true Leaders.

Changing leadership Role

“If you take a chain, pile it up and then push it, what direction will it go? 

Nowhere you can predict and not very far. 

If you take it by the end and pull it, which way will it go?

 It will follow you.”

If you push people, they will never perform with passion. You never know, they go in which direction. Coercion is an obsolete technique of leadership. Some conventional Managers even now use coercion as a technique. Coercion creates rebelling spirit and traditional jealousy.

When you lead people they follow you. You guide them with clear direction and support them to grow collectively. 

Leading without ego

A true leader cannot perform with pride of power & authority. Leading without ego gives inspiration & increases passion of followers to achieve a shared vision. In order to make your vision successful, share it with your people. Make them realize their role. Make them feel their importance. The moment they feel their self-importance they feel self-motivated.

Leaders create vision, Purpose & principle where people get encouraged to follow out of their passion. Leader guides them in every step.

“Leadership is not about what sets you apart from those you lead―it’s about what binds you together. It is not about controlling others―it’s about trusting others. It’s not about your achievements―it’s about unleashing your team’s greatness.” 

In shot leadership really isn’t about you―it’s about your people. 

Leadership with authority.

When a person joins in a very senior position, people under him obey his order and listen to him attentively. Some of them try to be close to him to improve their social status and position. All of these tickle the ego. All This is not because of his leadership but because of his position. When the ego is tickled it grows. The craving for more power, status, fame and influence increase. “An unchecked ego can warp his perspective or twist his values”

“When we’re caught in the grip of the ego’s craving for more power, we lose control. Ego makes us susceptible to manipulation; it narrows our field of vision; and it corrupts our behavior, often causing us to act against our values..” When we believe we’re the sole architects of our success, we tend to be ruder, more selfish, and more likely to interrupt others. This is especially true in the face of setbacks and criticism”

“When we’re a victim of our own need to be seen as great, we end up being led into making decisions that may be detrimental to ourselves, our people, and our organization”.

This is where people rebel and system gets collapsed.

Science of Leadership

Power comes when the people you are leading give you their support. They offer you the power and they watch you. If you take that power and give it back to them, they give you more power. If you give more power back to them they give you even more. If you hold the power they give you less. Those leaders who accept all the power, they do critical mistakes.

When the followers give support to the leader he supports them to increase the courage and conviction by guiding them in every step. When a follower enhances his skills and become proficient the leader empowers him to become a leader. Mahatma Gandhi is the real example of it

Leader always a form teams to execute functions. Leader always nurture the team members by giving them the role clarity and Goal clarity.

Vision

A true Business leader is always driven by vision.. He is passionately to own the vision & relentlessly drives for completion. He translates the long term vision to short term and medium term SMART Goals. On the basis of the goals he defines the roles and guides the team members. The leader creates the importance and identity of all the team members.

Unlike conventional leaders he doesn’t instruct team to get the work done. He himself gets involved persistently in action along with the team members and strives to achieve the goal. That is where he makes the Mission to achieve the vision.

“Vision without Mission is hallucination

Vision with Mission is Conviction”

Leader connects people emotionally. He always gives his moral support to the team members. He takes suggestions and asks for inputs to strategize the action to archive the shared vision. 

Sense of Humility

When things go right leader gives credit to the team members. When things go wrong leader takes the blame on his shoulder. Leaders not only take responsibility but also they take accountability for their action. If you want to be a lead warrior, it’s not about how tough you are, how smart you are and how fast you are. It’s all about how you help the person on your left and the person on your right in the battle,

Passion

Leader teaches how you love your job. When you love your job and get credit for right action, the passion for your work goes up. Leader encourages, facilitates, inspires you for right action and gives the credit to you for positive result. It creates conviction.

Leader connects their passion and organizational purpose to achieve a vision.

Confidence

“To be an effective leader, you need to roll up your sleeves and take charge. This includes being confident enough to lead, knowing that your plans and vision are not only viable for the team but the absolute best decision possible”.

Integrity

According to C.S. Lewis “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. A honest leader succeeds when the followers stick to their words and live with their core values. A leader cannot be successful in any mission without honesty and integrity.

Belief System

True leaders are driven by their core belief system. By their belief, they create a feeling of permanence which creates great conviction to achieve their vision. Mahatma Gandhi was thrown out of train in South Africa by British. That day he took an oath. He said “you threw me out of train, I will throw you out of India” He made it a success through his strong believe system. Belief creates conviction.

Today world is full of manager to control people. As per the new Management practices, managers need to control only Quality, Time and Money, not people. People need to be led by leaders. World is short of leaders who can bind people together and facilitate them to achieve common Goal.

References

1-Ego Is the Enemy of Good Leadership- by  Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter

2-Leadership without ego by Bob Davids, Brian M. Carney & Isaac Getz

3- 11 Leadership Qualities: By Adam Enfroy