Learning to lead by being accountable
Gautam Reddy
Building culture-obsessed creative entities that deliver brand-love and memorable entertainment | South-Indian Culture Enthusiast
Leadership is about being answerable:
From my experiences, I have learned that leaders need to bear in mind that they need to be answerable to people they lead and the systems that they operate. The reason for this is to avoid power getting to your head. Under these circumstances, a person that is usually well-behaved starts to come across to peers and the market as stubborn, rude, abusive and often unreasonable.
Here are some quick exercises that I am working on to ensure that I lead with my feet on the ground:
1. Stay committed and attend to all internal rituals.
It keeps relationships alive and keeps one rooted with problems on the ground. This helps add an element of realism to the future plans that are being put in place.
2. Try to be as attentive as possible in meetings with peers and reportees. Active listening is better than passive hearing.
3. Keep monitoring finances and dissecting multiple things that make the book look the way it does today. Understand what is really stretching the book or making it look good.
Keep switching shoes between bankers, investors, shareholders, partners and employees. Approach yourself as if you were them and understand what they would expect of the books and the culture of the company. Draw inferences.
4. Document the meetings of the day and commitments made to the people over the course of it.
5. Write down the future plan. Keep measuring if you are able to stick with it or having to change it often. Understand how a firm decision gets steered into a whole new direction and why. Determine if it is your mind that has changed, the organisation that has changed or the market circumstances that have changed.
6. Get feedback from clients, employees and partners as often as you can.
7. Chase and collect bad debts for the team.
8. This is my favourite; chill with peers and the team. It's important to know the other side. So that you know what makes them who they are, and what's at stake for them with this job and the company.
How do you lead responsibly?
Branding, Visual Communication, & UX Design Consultant - I make your marketing speak for itself!
4 年If indeed these are practiced, they are great to start being a leader by example. All the best Gautam!
Manager, Corporate Communication at Nava Bharat Ventures limited- India
4 年Nicely written
Believe in the power of insight, ideas and design.
4 年very well put Gautam Reddy, I'm sure a lot of experience has given these clear points to be put up