October 2013

So this time I thought we might go back to a little before defined leadership styles.  Because you have to know where you come from in order to know where you are going.  And in addition to this knowledge, you must also know about those who you are in a leadership position over and those whom you work alongside.

Knowing the types of personalities and differences within your organization and the people you work alongside helps to provide a better suited and more appropriate leadership style or type for the situation.  For example, if you are starting a  new organization there needs to be a balance of taking charge and listening to the input of others.  If you are too demanding and overbearing, interested people will not join the organization.  On the other hand, if you do not supply a goal and steps to reach this goal, then the group will limp along and barely function and provide useful benefits for those who joined the organization.

Walking the road between these two extremes can be a perilous practice in the best of times.  Many mistakes are made on the way to finding the right balance.  A part of leading others is realizing when you have stumbled on your path and a willingness to admit your mistake to your peers and take the appropriate steps to rectify the issue.  Knowing when these steps have occurred is an important part of your ability to lead.  You must be willing to take risks and try different styles and practices in order to find the right fit.  If you never take at least some risks, then your position will be stagnant and improvement and change w ill never find their way to your door.

September 2013

So....do you think that leadership is always a neat little list of what to do and when to do it, while looking perfect??  Leadership is not always shining brightly in the spotlight or getting the credit that you think is your due.   Sometimes, we have to get down in the muck and do the hard work no one else is willing to do.

Positions of leadership are not always black and white.  Nope...of course we all know that they are organized into little lists of what needs to be done and when to do it, or how to get it done.  One could hope so, but most of the time, leadership positions come with a lot of rules and little or no instruction.  When elected into a leadership position one must explore new options and find innovative ways of operating within the office.  A lot of the time it feels like if you ever had a map of your plan, it was shredded long ago...like back when you first got off the train for the new job.  Of course, who would worry about this, you're a leader right??...what could possibly go wrong??

The answer:  anything....one of the biggest lessons I have finally learned through experience, is that in order to get it right, you will have to get it wrong more than a few times.  Trying new ways and methods isn't always a clear-cut victory or a perfect solution.  Through trial and error, one finds their way into what will work for their organization.  Sometimes one part of the plan will work...and the other part will be more of a.... better not do that again.  At the end of the day, it comes down to getting down into the process that makes up your position or organization and learning from firsthand experience the ins and outs of its needs for a good operation.

Whether or not this puts you in the spotlight, ...I can't say.  But, eventually, someone will notice what you have done, and when they do it will probably mean more to you than if the entire crowd is cheering and applauding for your name.