the secret leadership code

Over those years, I have developed what I call my secret leadership code. Each of these points is hard-earned. I have no doubt a book or article influenced some, but it is also likely that a conversation or tragic experience taught me. Some of these may be a surprise, but they work, every one of them.

Here is the code:

• The leader paradox: you are surrounded by people and yet profoundly alone. Being a leader is an intensely lonely life.
• Never confuse staff politeness with respect or admiration.
• Speaking of admiration, be careful not to fall for the trap of wanting to be admired. Your job is mission success, plain and simple.
• Focus constantly on two features: values and the organizational mission.
• Once you become an organizational leader, seek to understand how you affect staff and volunteers. They will 100% act differently when you are around.
• Speaking of which, regularly walk around your organization. Yes, chat with people, but much more important is recognizing that you are the number one quality auditor. In other words, team members will think about their performance when you are present. That is a good thing!
• Become an expert on reading, interpreting, and understanding financial statements, the elements of a general ledger, and the annual audit process. Having an accounting team is excellent, but you need to know what they are talking about.
• Keep on learning.
• Read about various leadership styles and understand that you will deploy various styles depending on the circumstances.
• Leaders need to be flexible. You never know when everything will change, and you must respond. In particular, encourage self-organization amongst your team members, appreciate that life and organizations are non-linear, and, above all, promote an adaptable organizational culture.
• Become an expert in organizational behavior. Knowing how organizations work and how people react will enable you to keep one step ahead.
• You have two eyes; use both: one on the internal and one on the external environment.
• As the saying goes, ‘carry a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other.’ Be grounded in God and deeply aware of the world.
• Be present in the here and now and practice futurism by seeking to understand what the immediate future holds.
• Skill paradox: become a generalist, understanding every part of the business, and when required, become an expert in one or more of the business tasks.
• Every organization is on a roller coaster. There will be highs and lows. The goal is not to be stable but resilient enough to survive the lows. They will come; they always do.
• Always think beyond the immediate reality, the immediate decision.
• Sometimes, you have to work with staff not working at your preferred level. Like anything in life, seek after progress, not perfection.
• Make integrity the most important part of your leadership. Expect it from all your team.
• Cultivate a first follower; they are the lynchpin to your success, your one honest voice amidst the isolation of the office.
• The board may select you, but it is the staff team who accepts you.
• Listen intensely to feedback but learn when to ignore fear-mongering. Someone will always declare the end of a project, a partnership, a staff member, or even the entire organization.
• Above all, believe in yourself. Trust that God has called you, God has and will equip you, and the board has chosen you.
• When in doubt, pray. And believe me, doubt is a daily occurrence for us leaders.

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