When in a leadership position, the good of the group is over the needs of any individual, including yourself.
It never ceases to amaze me how much a group of people can accomplish if no one individual cares too much about who gets the credit. However, in most organizations, there is far too much wasted energy on ego-related issues and worrying about the wrong things. This often starts at the top of the organization. This situation arises because our society places excessive emphasis on fame and celebrity. Everyone wants to be someone, but they don’t know what that means, what it costs, or how to get there. Consequently, we have become overly concerned with what others are doing and how we compare to their efforts. The Bible refers to this as the sin of comparison.
When all is said and done, most of us won’t have any lasting fame or fortune. Our legacy will be what we left behind when no one was watching. It will be the little things—the small acts of kindness and generosity that will leave an indelible mark on our family, close friends, and colleagues. If you become too obsessed with your outputs, then you won’t pay enough attention to your inputs. The key is to focus on what type of leader and person you are becoming and how you are affecting others. Are people better off because you are a part of their lives? Are you a positive role model? Would anyone want to work for you or be your colleague?
I am certainly an advocate of accountability. When someone commits to doing something, they should get it done. There is an epidemic of false promises and excuses in the workplace today. However, if we all spent less time focusing on our individual needs and more time on our common goals, aspirations, and the good of the group, then I believe many of our systems would self-correct.
What we often do today is pit people against one another through either material rewards or limited advancement opportunities. Survival of the fittest may be a good biological theory, but it’s a tough way to run an organization and lead people. We have fallen victim to the “special person” mindset of management, thinking everyone can and should be “A” players when that is not a realistic objective.
As a leader, you get to decide what you will build and how you will construct it. Your most important construction project will be the culture you create and foster within the confines of your work environment. People will either operate with a higher collective purpose and a sense of mutual self-interest or not. It all starts with you and how much you need to feed your own ego with personal accolades and self-aggrandizement. You need to be able to give up control and trust others. You need to understand when to take the lead and when to step back. Your organization will be built upon the decisions you make regarding your people and who and how you choose to acknowledge and promote. Ultimately, your organisation will be shaped by your definition of success and the path you choose to achieve it.
Related articles
- The Culture Code book excerpts (capacity-building.com)
- 8 Characteristics of a Winning Team (capacity-building.com)
- The Five Minds of a Manager: Insights from Mintzberg and Gosling (changingwinds.wordpress.com)
- Why can’t the output work be greater than the input work (wiki.answers.com)
- Establish and Stick To Your Boundaries (capacity-building.com)
- 3 Ways To Make Everyone Around You Smarter (fastcompany.com)
- What Would Your Customers or Members Say About You? (blogs.constantcontact.com)