Several month ago I signed up for a free management tip of the day e-mail from Harvard Business Publishing. Many have been worthwhile, but I wanted to share today’s with you. Quoting John Baldoni, author of “Lead by Example,” and other books on leadership the post states:
Effective leaders need to be mindful not only of their accomplishments, but of their character as well. Humility is a key aspect of character. Here are three ways to step out of the limelight and let others shine:
1. Temper authority. Don’t use authority just because you have it. Encourage your people to make decisions, set their own goals, and take responsibility as often as possible.
2. Promote others often. Grooming talent is good for your organization and for you as a leader. Promote people around you, giving them opportunities to match or even surpass your success.
3. Acknowledge the accomplishments of others. If things go well, give away the credit. If things go poorly, take the fall. This humble approach will ensure your team rallies behind you.
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Great post. I follow Harvard and a few other leadership blogs on the content aggregator AllTop. http://my.alltop.com/. It is a great way to sift through and pull massive amounts of information. There is so much leadership information out there that is great, but obviously it is much tougher to put into practice. Keep up the good posts.
Badski
This to me is the key ingredient to true leadership. We see it everyday, in life this seems to be the toughest lesson to grasp, but it is by far the most important. Real leaders, in all walks of life, who truly get “it” understand they are part of something greater than themselves. With that understanding comes the realization that others will come along that are better suited to the task, and that’s a good thing. Legacies grow and records are made to be broken.
Cameron, I love the simplicity of this post. Some may view this as soft leadership, but it’s the wave of the future. Knowing how to lead by your own standards but being flexible to others’ opinions is HARD. It can be learned but I love hanging out with the naturals.
This view needs more promotion and I’m glad to hear it from you.
@ Badski,
Good call on Alltop, I will check that out – thanks for the shout!
@ Greg Molyneux,
You hit it on the head by saying the one’s that “get ‘it’ understand they are part of something greater than themselves.”
Some people make it a long way by living only for themselves, but organizations that revolve around 1 person are not sustainable. Eventually either the leader burns out or they alienate everyone else to such a degree that the org disintegrates.
@ Akshay,
Yeah, the simplicity is beautiful. Amazing how many kindergarten lessons come back to us years later repackaged as high-level executive training – things like “don’t be selfish,” or “share with others.”
I find humility very attractive not only in leaders, but in relationships (friendship, romantic, etc.)
Some of the most successful people (who could let their accomplishments and current life go to their head) practice humility and it’s an impressive character trait. That’s is the mark of a well-balanced, strong human being.