There is a beautiful article in the Harvard Business Review about the behaviours of successful leaders.
It forms the basis of my lecture session on leadership and all the business courses I provide, so I might not share it here, and I may ask you to ask me for it if you want it, just to prove that you really do.
The first thing to understand about leadership (at least if you're me) is that it's not an elevated position of seniority, or a golden throne, or a crown, or any such position of privilege.
Leadership is something that's given to you by people, not taken.
You get to be a leader because people choose you to be a leader because of the behaviours that you exhibit and of the example that you set. It's very simple.
You can coach the football team for many years without ever being a leader of the football team.
You can run a business without ever showing leadership qualities.
The principle of leadership.
As an exercise in example setting is perhaps one of the most insightful things that I have come across in all of my time, having the privilege of having my own business (and it is an extraordinary privilege).
And so, just in an abbreviated form here. Here are the four types of behaviours that successful leaders (as demonstrated and proven by HBR).
Number one, rapid decision-making.
Leaders make decisions, as I've listed in one of my routine blogs this week, Seth Godin wrote a beautiful piece about decisions that CEOs make, because that's the thing that CEOs make - decisions.
HBR would suggest that really good leaders are prepared to make decisions with 70% of the information, not 100%. That is a critical part of leadership, which is decision-making and understanding that that is your job, particularly in the face of difficulty.
Number two, adapting proactively.
In essence, adapting proactively means that you're able to learn from your mistakes and adjust your situation, your position, and your entrenched views in the face of reality. Leaders who see failure as an opportunity to learn are much more likely to be successful than those who do not.
Number three, engaging for success.
Leaders have to be able to sell the vision to the people who have chosen them as a leader; that is fundamental. If you're not good at that, then learn to get good at that, or give that job to somebody else, who will probably become the leader.
Number four, consistency.
Turning up on time and doing what you said you would, day after day, compounds over decades.
When you can be trusted to do that, you will be chosen by people to help, to lead, to guide, to take forward.
Finally, leadership is a choice. You can take a leadership position in any aspect of your life; you can at least assume the role, but the title, the philosophical prize of leadership, is given by the tribe, not taken by the leader.
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