Learnings from leading leaders
It’s easy to work with weak people but there’s no glory in it. Only when you work with leaders do you get a feedback that helps you expose your own blind spots- the things you don’t know that you don’t know. And here are some learnings over the years that I journalled to keep in mind - which means that these are the things I am working on still...it’s a process which might take a lifetime to assimilate:
Communicate - the only way to lead leaders is to stay in communication with them.
Leading leaders means you must admit mistakes that you do - you cannot assume that strong leadership will not notice your mistakes and it’s always good to take them in your stride and move on. There is no loss of face in admitting you messed up that particular time.
Leading leaders means you are principle centered. You have to be fair towards people and cannot take sides.
Leading leaders means that you are loyal to people who are loyal to you - you cannot be opportunistic and bend towards your profit and benefit. The only way to have a long term relationship with leaders is to work with WIN-WIN.
Leading people means that you are not “telling” them what to do but “leading” them to the right thing by developing their own thinking. You give a man a fish you fed him for the day, you teach a man to fish, you fed him for life.
Leaders like to be treated nicely - they don’t like being bossed around. And so when you lead leaders, you treat them like you’d like to be treated - “nicely”
Leaders are always trying to find opportunities to make emotional deposits in other people’s accounts because they know that’s the only way they can withdraw at a later point in time when needed.