Notes on leaders…

This is a series of my own personal ideas on leaders and the art of leadership. I’ve been compiling this over the last few weeks and will likely add to it as more thoughts arise (similar to my notes on mentors) so feel free to bookmark and revisit every now and then to see if I’ve added to it.

Leaders are fixers. They are the one’s who see a problem and decide to fix it. Especially the problems everyone else seems to ignore. While everyone else steps over a piece of gum on the sidewalk, the leader finds a way to pick it up and dispose of it properly, lest someone step on it.

Leaders own the problem. Leaders never say, “That’s above/below my pay grade”. Leaders never say, “That’s someone else’s responsibility.” Leaders never say, “That’s not my problem.” Leaders know that problems left unanswered eventually become their problem. Leaders either fix it themselves or find someone who can and will.

You can often spot the leader because they are the ones already doing the work.

Leaders often don’t see themselves as leaders. They see themselves as doers.

Leaders lead by example. That example is the doing.

Leaders are quiet about leading.

The best leaders don’t lead from the top, or the bottom, they lead from the middle.

If you see a group of people working, ask one of them who started first, the person they identify is most likely the leader. They’re also likely the person working the hardest.

In fact, I’d make the argument the person who started and is working the hardest is the leader no matter what their title or anyone else says.

Leaders ask questions before having answers. Leaders seek to understand a problem before offering a solution.

Leaders know the value of continuous evaluation of a solution. Because not all fixes are perfect or permanent. In fact, most aren’t. At the end of every project, a leader knows the value in reflection: What went right? Why? What went wrong? Why? How can we have more go right than wrong in the future. How can we do better next time.

Leaders know that clean up of the project is part of the project.

Leaders can take constructive criticism. In fact, they welcome it. Leaders see it as valuable feedback — a problem to solve or a perspective to shift. Leaders are fixers.

Leaders know that genuine constructive criticism, left unaddressed, turns into vehement opposition and calls for their removal. To prevent that, leaders don’t ignore or brush off the concern. They address it.