What does it take to be a successful leader?

Leadership is not what many people perceive it to be. A lot of people assume leadership is a position of power or authority. Leadership is about influence. A good leader is a good motivator and role model. He understands the “Fish Head Theory” and knows that the team he leads is a reflection of his ability and vision. The Fish Head Theory states that when the head of a fish is bad, the whole fish is bad. Succinctly put, a team is a reflection of its leader. Since the bottleneck is at the top, the hiccup in any team is with the leader. When there is no bottleneck, a container becomes a vase and its contents get out of it smoothly. A good business leader ensures the smooth running of policies and programmes of his team to achieve the set objectives. The resources of the team are domiciled in him and he dishes out directives with authority and confidence. The true leadership test is in how many new leaders a leader is able to build.

A successful leader is resilient, persuasive, has good shock absorber, is a good observer, listener and fast learner who can learn from his team and add finesse to the contributions of all members in the team. He carries the team along with his suave and persuasion and leads them to the goal. He believes that TEAM means Together Everybody Achieves More. He is empathetic, selfless, team-player and has a spirit of sportsmanship. A leader shows the way. A successful leader is a good communicator, builds a gelling team and holds regular briefings (meetings) to ensure that all team members are knowledgeable about the process of the business. He is a good manager of human, material and financial resources. A successful business leader is a manager of men (manpower), materials, minutes, machines, money and method.

A leader is honest and ethical, has integrity, unquestionable character, though accountable to the team, empathetic, considerate, decisive, democratic, and humorous, has dependable assistants, has penchant for details and is dedicated to his team. A successful leader is willing to share accolades and awards with his team, but bear the brunt of failure alone. He has a thin-skin to humiliation; he has listening ears and observing eyes. He observes beyond looking and listens beyond hearing. He is sensitive to happenings in his environment. He possesses quick sifting abilities, knowing what to note and what to ignore. A successful business leader has passion for people, projects and processes. He keeps integrity even while focusing on profit (business objectives). A leader understands the “Power Dynamics Theory”, which states that “the actions and inactions of party A can affect the actions and inactions of parties B and C in a system.”

A successful leader is amiable, approachable and friendly. He is committed, competent, enthusiastic, and able to communicate effectively, able to inspire people and to share project vision. He is a top contributor, has emotional intelligence, possesses charisma and has a strong sense of teamwork. He is astute and a source of inspiration to his or her team. A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal. His personality exhumes confidence and trust. A leader is someone with a vision and who knows the path to realising it. A successful leader is a role model and fills whatever quality the other team members do not have. He is accountable, responsible, able to delegate, and a constant pusher (project gets behind or fails where no one is pushing). A good leader must push the entire team to move them forward and mitigate the risks while still meeting deliverables. A leader is disciplined, trustworthy and has a sense of urgency. A successful business leader has a good sense of direction and develops his team members to be good leaders.

A leader has drive or enthusiasm, is trusted and has a good relationship with all stakeholders. He is truthful. His job is not to tell people what they want to hear, but to tell them what they need to hear. He must not make up stuff, but be factual. He is caring, decent, interactive, extrovert, emotionally intelligent, experienced, and skilful and has the ability to bring to surface all the hidden agenda. He is a great risk manager, resolute about project success, motivated, and engages with all stakeholders and team members. He is a Subject Matter Expert (SME). He has problem-solving skills, especially on unexpected problems or challenges that drive everyone crazy. He wipes off disappointments, disagreements, and missed-deadlines among team members. He is a good listener, competent, enthusiastic. He is able to share his vision. He possesses charisma and has a good sense of teamwork.

He is also a public relations officer. If what project needs is a kick in the arse to get it moving, he is the one to make it happen. Most times, he dangles his carrot and keeps his stick. A good leader has thoughtful reflection before responding on any issue, sensible and has ability to effectively manage project and stakeholder’s expectations. He is a good negotiator and respected by all related parties such as other business community members, consultants and stakeholders. He cherishes integrity while leading his followers, radiates authority in and around his project with a strong aura, and has strong communication skills between cross functional and inter functional teams. A business leader has courage, creativity, and a selfless and constant focus on his people’s needs. A business leader has a positive attitude, is patient and is a democratic-decision maker.

A successful leader plans, directs, supervises, coordinates and controls his people. He has the ability to resolve conflicts. He is flexible without being tossed around by his team members and has a good sense of humour. He has technical knowledge of the project; evoke a desirable response from people in the team and around the project. He is competent, enthusiastic, a great integrator and organiser. A leader has aptitude, is diplomatic, has the skin of a Rhino, the wisdom of an Owl, heart of a Lion, and the spirit of an Eagle. He must realise that his hedgehog value point is in being communicative and informative and employ common sense all the time. A successful business leader believes in the motto of Shangri-la, in James Hilton’s old novel, ‘Lost Horizon’: “everything in moderation, including moderation itself”. It takes leadership knowledge, managerial ability and people management to be a successful leader.