Wildlings, Purpose and Jon Snow. Westorosi Leadership in a Pandemic...

A sure test for a phenomenal leader is how badly they want to be leaders.

There’s something magnetic about a truly reluctant leader. From the way they think, speak and relate with the people they lead, you’ll realise that nothing is more important to them than their people and the cause they share.

For most of us, being a leader is something to aspire to, but the whole process of getting there is a series of attempts to remove one thing - our egos. It means that you can’t make a resolution right now and say, “yep, from today, I don’t want to be a leader." and wait for the magic to kick in.

The storyline of HBO’s Game of Thrones paints Jon Snow, as an ideal leader even though it was the last thing he ever wanted to be.

As human beings with egos, we want to be accepted and praised for doing this great thing or building that awesome thing, but it seems that embedding ourselves in the mix of that very “thing” stands in the way of actually achieving it.

It becomes more about us and our reputation than the cause and the people supporting us.

The moment you take up a sword (Longclaw in Jon's case), you're swinging the blade (or the chair, haha) as a “servant” of the people...AND the cause, otherwise, you're finished, and it’s only a matter of time before it shows.

Of course, there is an extent and a direction that serving people follows.

You’re not there to wash the black coats of your fellow crows (another GOT reference), but more the extent of your service should cover the intersection between the cause and their goals. In Jon's case, it was to unite the Wildlings and The Night's Watch against a common foe. Those chilly blue-eyed bastards from beyond the wall.

That being said here are some common guidelines to follow to unite the squad.

1. Understanding your team: I feel like you’ve heard this a thousand times (because Socrates and Sun Tzu have been screaming this kind of stuff for centuries

I’m not saying you need to know what dog food they buy. I’m saying you need to know their motivational and productive specs.

At the motivational level, you’re learning why they work with you, and how you can help their goals. The Wildlings knew that they'd be going against thousands of years of tradition by joining with the Night's Watch.

But Jon sold them on their cause. They knew that without Jon, it was going to be a long-ass winter for all of them.

“When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.” — Sansa Stark

2. Delegating to achieve more: To a beginner in the game of chess, a pawn is worthless - until they realize the potential each one has to be a queen (from both sides). Even though business is not exactly a game of chess, you’ve got to admit that the metaphor is pretty cool. It’s important to invest in understanding how to “use” and advance your “pawns” to become a better player through their strengths, weaknesses and preferences.

What you know about whom you send and where you send them is a huge part of successful delegation. Jon knew that sending Sam to Oldtown to study books was more efficient than say, sending Ghost for example. Ya know, cause not all direwolves can read, right?

Another important part depends on being in touch with yourself and your limitations; skillset, time, knowledge, energy, or even preferences. How can you contribute your best to your cause if you’re spending time on the aspects you’re not so good at? You’ll likely end up spending more time on those kinds of tasks and exhausting your mental and physical energy in the process. I don’t think I need to say more.

3. Taking necessary risks: Sure, it might not be super smart to bring a Wildling wife to The Night's Watch disco, or riding into battle on the back of a giant direwolf (as Robb Stark was wont to do), but leading people means being brave enough to take big risks for something you believe in.

As a leader, believing in your cause ignites other people who value it to follow you. It’s one of the biggest motivators there are because everyone everywhere believes in something, and the people that believe the most, strengthen that belief in others.

“Can a man be brave if he’s afraid?’

“That’s the only time he can be brave,” his father told him. — Bran and Ned Stark

Don’t be too scared to take a chance because of the high possibility of failure. We live in a world of countless risks, but we still have to live and live deliberately. And if your worst fears come to life, be brave enough to accept that something went wrong and evolve. If you honestly want to achieve your cause, as big as it is, you can’t expect an easy route.

In fact, most celebrated people had more losses than wins. I know you’ve heard this before, but it’s about what you do after. Jon got stabbed by a 12-year-old boy for Pete's sake.

4. Building mutual trust: Without support from the people in the North, Jon Snow would be nowhere. These people wanted him as their leader, The King In The North, even when he was seen as a bastard...because they believed in him.

People are also motivated by your belief in them. Due to the lockdown, a lot of businesses have had to work remotely, and that seems to mean more room for failure. But trust is best when it goes both ways. If the people you lead do not trust your motives, they will disengage from you, or even leave you.

5. Communicating your cause: Our real language is emotion, and every other form of communication was developed to express it. People will only have an emotional connection with you as a leader when they can trust you, and trust only exists when you (collective) have an important thing in common.

Communication helps in building and maintaining relationships, passing on important information, and rallying people to your cause.

For some that cause may be building a thriving, scalable and more importantly, sustainable business model, for others it may be driving an obsidian dagger into the heart of an ice monster.

Whichever it is. Communicate it clearly and communicate it often.

"Winter is coming" — House Stark

I’d love to know your thoughts on this or to learn something new from you in the comments.

Stay safe out there people...and Valar Dohaeris.

#Leadership #WorkingFromHome #WinterIsComing