Michael Jordan Eisenhower certainly understood the concepts of being an effective, influential leader, didn’t he? Spot on. I have been in the military and business world for forty years, and I often get asked what it takes to be an effective, influential leader. And often Michael Jordan leadership is not what you think.
Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want to be done because he wants to do it.
– Dwight Eisenhower
Being such a leader is a lifelong learning process. You are never done learning. Every great leader always looks for ways to improve their ability to lead and influence.
Related: Increase Influence through Good Leadership Qualities
Leadership can be deceiving if you let it, however. Consider these different thoughts on leadership:
Not about you
Many of us want to be effective leaders … ones that can make a difference. But that doesn’t happen by talking about it or self-marketing.
It takes time to build connections, to take a genuine interest in people. In true leadership situations, listening comes first.
Perhaps the worst personal trait I’ve personally observed is ego. We all have an ego, but the ego I’m talking about is the ‘superego’ that dominates. I’ve found if a leader is good at what they do, they won’t have to tell others about it.
It’s all about them, isn’t it? If a leader doesn’t understand the concept of “service above self” they will not engender the trust, confidence, and loyalty of those they lead. Any leader is only as good as his or her team’s desire to be led by them. Real leaders take the blame and give the credit – not the other way around.
There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when shown, and those that do not see.
For those leaders in the second and especially third groups, easily lose the confidence of those they are trying to lead. Their lack of vision cannot inspire teams, motivate performance, or create sustainable value.
A leader’s job is to align the organization around a clear and achievable vision. This cannot occur when the blind lead the blind.
Michael Jordan leadership … building open and honest relationships with communication
“Because I said so” leadership might work for a child, but it doesn’t work with adults. In many cases it creates frustration and confusion, resulting in more infractions and disdain for leadership.
As an alternative, focus on open and honest communication where you can carefully explain why you focus on your objectives and what you are aiming to accomplish.
Michael Jordan leadership … connecting is all there is
President Lincoln was once asked how long it took him to write the Gettysburg Address. He replied: ‘All my life.’
Lincoln knew who he was and what he stood for and that influenced his entire perspective on life. Most people are the same … they want to know who you are and what you stand for before they follow you. Leadership is a two-way agreement.
Rudy’s three keys to leadership
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, tells us in his book Leadership that there are three keys to leadership:
If you don’t love working with people, then do something else.
Be clear what you stand for.
If you are going to lead, be optimistic. If you are not, your followers can hardly be expected to be.
Michael Jordan leadership … qualities of great leaders
In football, winning is all about assembling a team, devising a strategy, and positioning the players to do their jobs well. Coaches take their well-thought-out game plan and instruct the players, so each understands their role to ensure victory.
The play, which is the idea, is certainly important to the campaign, but the key to winning is the players executing as directed – knowing their role and following through as they have been coached.
The key to success is no different in business and marketing. You need a great strategy that a group of employees can follow to achieve their goals. You need a great leader to create the appropriate structure and protocols so the staff can execute to the fullest.
The idea itself should not be leading your efforts. The idea is not a magic wand to ensure that all of your goals are accomplished and that your revenues increase.
Letting the idea lead your organization is allowing the tail to wag the dog. Ideas are only as good as the implementation plans and people who are executing them. They are only as effective as the leadership set the course.
Much research shows that questions uncover reality and let other people find solutions rather than having to rely on you.
So why do leaders instruct more than asking questions?
It is simple. Leaders often need to appear infallible and most often believe the best leader is a solution finder. And most importantly, many leaders don’t ask questions because they fear answers they won’t like.
What employees want most
In a research study, McKinsey consultants asked people:
What makes for a fantastic work environment?
The top three answers were:
It’s open and honest. I want to be able to trust.
I’m stretched and valued. If I am not there, I’ll know I’ll be missed.
Permission to take risks by making decisions. Don’t just give me tasks, empower me.
Source: Rene Carayae
Leadership as empathy? Tim Brown, the CEO and President of IDEO, the global innovation, and design firm, describes empathy as making an effort to “see the world through the eyes of others, understand the world through their experiences, and feel the world through their emotions.” A novel way to view leadership isn’t it?
Key takeaways
The moral of this story is company culture has a great influence on leadership development. If these different thoughts are possessed by your current leadership team or your emerging leaders, you will be in a good position for the road ahead.
Which of these leadership thoughts stand out to you? Do you have any other thoughts of effective leaders worthy of mention? Leave a comment and share your insights with others…
So what’s the conclusion? The conclusion is there is no conclusion. There is only the next step. And that next step is completely up to you. But believe in the effectiveness of great leadership. And put it to good use in adapting to changes in your business environment.
It’s up to you to keep improving your ability to lead. Lessons are all around you. In many situations, history may be providing the ideas and or inspiration. But the key is in knowing that it is within you already.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new lessons. When things go wrong, what’s most important is your next step.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy continually improving your continuous learning?Do you have a lesson about making your learning better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
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