LEADERSHIP: FROM A FOLLOWER’S PERSPECTIVE

Enough about leaders, Lets talk about what followers think!

It is dangerous for a man who knows nothing about follower-ship to take authority in leadership. As they say: the way to the throne room is through the servant’s quarters!

To be a great leader, you’ve got to be a great follower. And as you follow, you learn from your superiors about what they are doing well, what they could do better and what they are doing wrong.

As a follower in many occasions in my life, here is what I can say about the leaders that I have encountered. There have been those that impressed me to the core; they inspired me, challenged me and in a million different ways they have made me a better person! They did this with their words, their actions, the way they carried themselves, the way they rebuked me or criticized me. Sometimes it was hurtful, at times I resented it, and at times I finally understood why.

And then, there were those leaders that were too unbearable. They demanded a lot, but invested very little. They constantly reminded me that they were in charge, that they are the boss. Worse enough they were not considerate, or nice or at all understanding. They hardly appreciated any efforts made. And because I can really easily burst into tears, during those time, my eyes were mostly teary. Maybe I am a little too sensitive, but leaders should never underestimate the weight of their actions towards their followers!

And here is what I literally observed.

These bad leaders I encountered, most of them did not know they were being bad. Some did, but they actually didn’t know what to do about it. It is the approach they have seen other leaders use, and so they thought they should keep pushing.

I have also observed the biggest fear that most leaders have: Under-performing! It is so scary for them, Leaders carry the weight of the fate of the team, organization or country so heavily on their shoulders because that’s how they know they should do it. And in most cases, they react in either two ways

1. They get frustrated over the quirks and setbacks and their immediate reaction is to play defense early on by highlighting blames

Have you ever had a boss who constantly complains in every meeting you have? All they do is blame and blame. Gosh, how tiring is that? Complainers attract complainers. Complaining leaders are dangerous leaders. When a leader complains, what then is expected of the followers? Followers admire leaders who find solutions to problems. In fact, leaders should avoid glorifying problems over solutions.

2. They get too focused on the goal, they forget about the people.

This approach will definitely keep you going, but it will never take you further. You can’t go about pushing people, shouting random words to see results, you cannot just act like an armature for the sake of increasing numbers. You might get slight results, but in the long run, you’ll suddenly feel lonely at the top. Once your focus is on the objective and not your people, you have lost the privilege to be called a leader.

My take;

I think as a follower I need a world class leader. Someone I would be proud to call my leader. Someone I would constantly run to when I need assistance even on my personal life. I need a leader who would challenge my thinking, who would push me to the limits, a leader who will dare me to greater heights and opportunities that I have never imagined before. As human, I need a leader who is harsh, yet gentle. Not necessarily polite with the sweetest of words, but just that speck of compassion expressed genuinely as he directs the path. Yes, I appreciate a leader who has weaknesses and acknowledges them, and works to grow everyday.

And because I need that kind of leader, I want to be that kind of leader to those following behind.

Leadership and follower-ship: there is a lot that each side can learn from the other.

Until Next time,

Lynne.

LEADERSHIP: THE SACRED PRIVILEGE

Leadership is a privilege to better the lives of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy personal greed. -Mwai Kibaki.

We’ve got it all wrong. Being in a position of influence doesn’t mean you are better or much more intelligent than others. It doesn’t even mean you deserve more compared to others. Being in a position of influence is a matter of fact; a privilege. An honor. I would say, the highest form of faith in humanity; The authentic act of believing that another human being can help you get where you want to get despite his weaknesses.

Leadership is a privilege. Getting the authority to be trusted with every word that you say. Providing direction, bringing hope, challenging mediocre performance, enlightening people, inspiring them to believe in themselves and what they see, encouraging them even in the most difficult circumstances.

The mere fact of still having people behind you even when things don’t seem to be promising or when situations seem to be falling apart is proof of how far followers can go in trusting their leaders. That looks like a whole lot of privilege to me!

As we all know it, the people around us need assurance. They need to be assured that tomorrow will be better than today. They need someone to remind them that they can make it, they can do it. And even if they are struggling to believe that themselves, then when their leader says it, there is a whole new level of energy and faith lifted in their hearts. People don’t accept this information and atmosphere from just anyone. The encouragement and praises and corrections that carries the most weight to them, are the kind that only comes from the person they believe is their leader by heart.

Leaders are a symbol of power, authority and sovereignty. When people cannot get enough of what you can give and how much you can lead them, I believe it is about time you start shifting from thinking it is about you, to firmly believing it really wasn’t and isn’t about you. It is about them. The privilege you have is to drastically improve to accommodate what they need you to help them with.

When you decide to massively improve, and not only do it for yourself, but for the people that you are leading, you will grow in ways you have never imagined possible. Because your primary motive will be to grow so that you can better serve your people. When you grow, they grow. When you are lazy, they are unconscionably lazy. When you strongly believe in them, they start believing in themselves too, When you compliment them, they quiet their still voices of self criticism, when you empower them you are actually empowering yourself. It is a boomerang back.

Can you see the weight of the responsibility you carry? Can you imagine how much life you can richly impact merely because you have the influence like no other person in the life of this follower? Knowing the responsibility that comes with that, is enough motivation for me to continue growing every day for those that look up to me.

The privilege to lead will forever be an honor in ways words cannot express.

Until Next time,

Lynne.

LEADING WHEN THERE IS CONFLICT

Conflict is inevitable!

Why?

There is diversity that lives within each of us. The diversity is what makes us who we are. You are you because I am me. And the more the diversity, the more possibilities of conflict.

As a leader, you need to understand that there will be conflicts between you and your people, and there will be conflict amongst your people. To effectively lead and leave lasting impact, you need to understand how to deal with conflict.

1. Conflict between the leader and a follower(s)

Here are two quotes to get us started;

‘There is not one person in this crowd who’s gonna agree with everything I say. Not one’

‘Where there is power, there is resistance’

You are the one with the influence. You’ve got the power to navigate things and situations to any direction. But that doesn’t mean it is something that comes easily and it certainly doesn’t mean that every one of your people will agree with you.

Your people will not always agree with you and you have to respect that. Having to lead people who will have different opinions from you is in fact, a privilege. You cannot afford to have a bunch of ‘yes-man’ in your team.

Every time you encounter a misunderstanding look at it as an opportunity to get to know the other person at a much deeper level. When you disagree about something, or when you are disappointed by their behavior or anything along those lines try asking yourself;

How can I use this misunderstanding for the greater good?

Okay, that sounds a little too religious! let me rephrase

How can I use this misunderstanding to get to fully understand this person? Why is he saying or acting the way he is? Is there something I’m missing?

As a leader, you need to remember its not about you. Like John Maxwell likes to put it; Once you are a leader you loose the right to think for yourself. If you are determined to lead like a legend, you need to put away your emotions, your hurt and sincerely try to understand the other person by preciously using your misunderstanding or conflict as a tool to get to the bottom of it.

For to be understood, seek first to understand.

You also need to understand that there will be those that you get along with very well, and there will be those that regardless of how much you try, you just won’t click! You did nothing wrong it’s just how it is. We don’t live in a perfect world, or do we?

Regardless who is at fault, as a leader you need to display a high degree of character, respect and class! in the midst of conflict, our true colors show, your colors better be appealing!

2. Conflict amongst your people

Rule no.1; Never get involved when your people have misunderstandings. Some things are just personal

Rule no. 2; Only share your opinion if asked. Sir/Mam, please don’t ever get involved in office gossip. Don’t be the leader that gossips about his people, that is just ugly.

Rule no. 3; Only forcefully get involved, when the conflict interferes with work. Tip: Don’t sweat the small stuff!

Until next time

Lynne

LEADING WHEN YOU ARE THE NEW GUY

New guy fever! Oh man, do you know how people feel when they are expecting a new leader to come and take over?

Let me take you through:

“Here comes another idiot guy to boss us around”

“I really hated Joe, he was very controlling. If this guy will be nice, I will give him a try”

“Oh my God, I can’t believe they are seriously bringing someone else to take this place. I am good enough, why couldn’t they pick me??”

“This place is full of serious problems, and all they do is bring us a new inexperienced guy from… nobody really cares where?”

“I am excited, I hope this guy will bring the change that we all need”

So, we can all agree that there will be those who are positive and there will be those who are entirely negative. But hey, its their perspective and they have every right to think anything they want to think.

When you are a new leader in a certain community, company, organization or religious denomination, you need to know that people are expecting something better something more and something different compared to the previous leader. Even if they are negative about it. So the highest ranking activity on your job description is to deliver!

1. You only have one opportunity to make the first impression, Please Nail it! We shouldn’t even be talking about this, I mean seriously work hard to ensure you appear as how you need to be addressed. Be damn good, the hand shake is firm, the attire is sharp, the choice of words is delightful, and most importantly the humor and charisma makes those you are speaking to feel very good about themselves. All this, should be clarified and translated from day 1 to the day you retire, resign or get fired as a leader. And by the way, congratulations. If you’ve gotten there, a number of your good qualities and experiences have brought you there. But buckle up, you need to do more to keep up with the new job.
2. Earn your leadership. Earn it everyday. If you are new, you should understand that your new people will be following you because of your tittle and so without wasting time, you need to drastically show them that you truly deserve the place because you can deliver. Provide a short term win, please if you are going to demand something from your people, make sure it makes sense- give orders that are realistic and practical, effectively listen to your people, if you want them to wholeheartedly cooperate with you. The goal is to earn it.
3. Be willing to learn. There is always something you could learn from someone. Imagine how much you could learn from every single person you are leading. The rule behind this: listen more, talk less. I think I would refer my self as the most talkative person in my family and among my friends, and I can tell you.. it is not a good place to be in. Just shut up! I had to learn this the hard way (That’s a story for another time). People love it when you listen to what they have to say, they appreciate it. If you pay close attention to what they have to say, there are endless things you will eventually learn about who they are, their jobs, and how you could lead them better. The willingness to learn doesn’t only end with listening to your people, it is also choosing to grow everyday by reading, observing, asking questions and most importantly practicing the things you have learned.

What I love most about leadership, is the privilege to influence the lives of the people that I have been entrusted with while simultaneously drive results and change their lives for the good. The beauty that comes out of that, is if you lead well wherever you are now, even if you are the new guy.. People will always remember the impact you’ve had in their personal lives and in their jobs no matter where else you’ll go to lead. Leadership is leaving a print in the hearts of people by simply being the best version of yourself.

So, as a new guy leading your people, leave that print from the very first day, or that first month, or even on that first year, and everyday onwards. Be the best they have ever had!

Until next time.

Lynne.

LEADING WHEN YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN

                He must become greater, I must become less -John 3:30

What really does it mean when they say ‘I am a christian?’. More specifically, Is there any difference between a non Christian leader in any sphere of influence to a Christian leader? Can people really look around and spot the overwhelming difference between a Christian leader and a non Christian leader?

Quick flashback to our first question; What do they mean when they say ‘I am a Christian?’ The truth is, we live in a world where Christianity is more of a name tag than a lifestyle. Some people think because they listen to gospel music, go to church every Sunday, listen to the ceremony and give their tithe, then they are identified as Christians. Yeah that’s true, but that is just the Icing. Where is the whole cake? your heart, your character, your motives, your priorities, your life style.

One can never be whole as a Christian. We are all in a journey and it is just really not an easy one. As much as we are thriving to grow spiritually, and intimately connect with our living God, we also need to remember our greatest commission in life:

‘Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ — Mathew 28:18–20

In our case, this verse means sharing the good news to all the people we are privileged to influence. We should share the gospel to the people that God has called us to lead, and only when entirely necessary, we can use words. Our lives should be the gospel. How we lead should be the gospel.

But sometimes, unintentionally life happens. You become very busy with work, too many meetings, a pile of deadlines, endless emails to reply , and a complaining family to spend your hardly enough time with. And suddenly you begin to slack with your alone prayer time, you begin to skip Bible reading, you start missing fellowship and a couple of Sunday services, and you slowly become distant from the holly spirit. Before you know it,you unknowingly become a hindrance to the faith that you are called to preach because at this point, you try to clean yourself on the outside, pretend you are christian enough. And it is just awful.

It is dangerous for a leader to be lukewarm in Christ!

Leaders really underestimate how their actions and life choices affect the people they lead. They think if they can only do enough to make it look good, that’s all it takes. That is not the truth! if you are a leader claiming to be a disciple of Christ, you need to be a child of God authentically and faithfully even when no one is looking. Even on the days when you don’t feel like it. Even on the days when it hurts, especially on the days it hurts.

When you are a Christian, and God has called you to lead his people; be it managing a business, running a country, leading his church or just leading your family, as a child of God you need to do it with discipline, determination, grit and a whole lot of faith.

As a christian you are not just leading for a certain cause or change or economic improvement, you are actually leading for God, you are leading on behalf of God. He is literally counting on you to get something accomplished for the glory of his kingdom.

As a young leader myself I know the weight I sometimes carry on my shoulders, that pressure to want to get things done. That guilt of feeling that I am not doing enough, that obsession of wanting everyone to be on board with my vision. You know what I mean, right?

And I am certain God understands. He knows how that feels. But somehow, I think God needs us to shift our attention from all that which we are trying to achieve and refocus on growing deeper into knowing him and his will first. Only through this, we will be able to lead as the authentic Christians that we are made to be.

May the privilege to lead draw us closer to the ultimate leader. May we lead more like Christ.

Living in Christ, leading in Christ 🥂

Until next time,

Lynne.

 

 

LEADING WHEN YOU ARE A POLITICIAN

                        Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere

Two elderly women were trespassing the cemetery as it was the only path to where they were headed. While they were walking, they both saw a grave with printed words that read ‘John Sabika’: An honest man, and a great politician’. One of the elderly woman gasped and held her heart and with wonder she mattered, Ooh my gosh! How could they bury two people in the same tombstone!

I think we can all agree that politicians to some extent are viewed as not very honest, or should I say; manipulative, liars, frauds, deceivers, selfish… the list goes on and on.

But I have met some of these politicians, and some of them are very close to me. I have had the front row seat of witnessing how politics really looks like and how one can say something and end up doing something completely different. I have seen how difficult it is for politicians to stand their ground. I have learned how betrayal, pain, and deception hurts the nation and the leaders at large. As a citizen of the Republic of Tanzania I have also seen how politicians use voters for their own selfish gains, on the other hand I have seen those that are selfless and are willing to do all they can to make a difference in their point of influence. I have seen how easy it is for voters to be swayed from side to side because of the unrealistic promises that they choose to believe. Politics really is a dirty game. Politicians, beware!

It is very rare therefore , to see a true leader in a politician.

Lets take a quick tour to leadership land; Leadership is vision, leadership is communication, it is influence not manipulation, it is the genuine love and care for your people. Leadership is working with people to achieve a goal that everyone wants, not using people to get what you want. Leadership is working patiently to ensure that people buy into the vision, leadership is carefully hearing out what your people need. Leadership is not your magnificent car and chair at the parliament, it is not that honorable tittle that comes before your name. Wait… should we have a class about this?

I write this with great sadness. Deep down I know we have voted for a majority of politicians who don’t know what it really means to lead, we’ve placed people in power who have never learned what it is to serve. They don’t even understand that leaders are readers, they never learn, they don’t grow. They are not challenging the direction of the nation. Worse enough, they cannot lead themselves!

Today, this is my advice to the politicians in my country. I speak as a citizen with passion about leadership. May my voice make a difference today

1. You need to fully know who you are, what you stand for and why you are doing what you are doing. Know who you are, search for yourself, reach out to your soul, get to know what you are made of. What are the most important things to you? what are your values? what do you want to be known for? When you know who you are, you are certain to know your stand. You become strong and firm enough to clearly state your dos and don’ts. This will be a constant reminder to why you are doing your job. In the world of politics there are so many noises everywhere, you will hear people speaking terrible things about you, I bet you probably have! You will deal with things that are irrational, you will get into arguments, probably fights. You will somehow find yourself involved in scandals, the media will just want some dirt on you. And seriously if you don’t know who you are, why you are doing what you do and what you stand for, you will be swayed with everything that is going on, and you will never be capable of displaying authentic leadership.
2. If you are not careful, your people can create a monster out of you. I think by now you are fully aware that politics is dealing with people’s emotions. Your people are emotional creatures, just like you! The danger comes when you let the praises and the glory from your people define you. When these things come in low supply, you will thirst for more. And that is dangerous because you will find yourself preaching about promises you will never keep. You will find yourself giving money to people that really doesn’t bring the lasting change. You will find yourself using corruption to aid your projects the way you want them to go. You can avoid this, just clearly define what you are aiming at achieving and focus on that. Remember as a leader, you steer the course.
3. Always deliver! If you have promised to do something, DO IT! Through thick and thin. It doesn’t matter if you cry, sweat, or even bleed; you have got to deliver! bring that trophy home. This is not about you anymore. Lets get real, I know you are politician, you are gifted with words, you know how to get your way and still make people feel okay about it. But that’s not leadership. A leader always challenges his excuses. If you really want to be a leader, you have got to have the integrity that other million politicians in the world do not have. Here is a tip, before you promise to do something, make sure you’ve done the research and are certain that it can be done!

With power comes great responsibility. To fully and effectively tackle into this responsibility dedicate yourself to becoming the best political leader ever. Not just a politician, a political leader! This is a result that comes intentionally. Be willing to learn; this involves reading, listening, asking questions, more reading, learning from your heroes, traveling, observing and more reading.

We need you to Lead the way. Don’t let us down!

Until next time.

Lynne.

LEADING WHEN YOU ARE THE YOUNGEST

At a quick glance it may seem like a person taking the lead should look like the actual leader right at first sight! Most people picture him as this person with a big body, an expensive suite and this bossy look and way of speaking.

Its easy and natural for people to associate power with appearance.

Ha! Very funny.

And so sometimes, you are a leader but its just that you don’t really look like one. in fact you look really young, and you constantly have this feeling that your people look at you with disbelief and they really can’t stand the fact that you have to be in charge. Some are so old school that they don’t believe you could ever lead them they way they want to be led.

If you are not careful, the thoughts and feelings they have towards you will slowly affect how you see yourself and how you eventually lead them. So my message today is to tell you;

You are not defined by what people think of you. You are defined by what you think of you.

Here is a picture that illustrates that:

A cat looks in the mirror and sees a lion

Hold on for a sec, think about it this way; It is a true fact that this cat is really a cat. But if this cat looks itself in the mirror and sees a lion, imagine how it thinks about itself. Furthermore, imagine how it behaves: how it walks, how it eats, how it sleeps and even how it hunts for mice. It will carry itself relevantly to how it believes inside and not how others see it on the outside. Right?

You need to be like that cat! Of course you are young, of course you can’t have the experience and probably the knowledge and the expertise that the elder people have. But you can always learn, You can always observe, you can always listen, you can totally ask questions. You can be the best leader ever.

This can only happen after you start believing in your damn self. Avoid allowing people to intimidate you, don’t allow people to talk you out of being the best leader you can be even if you are the youngest. Just have deep faith in yourself, so much faith such that the very same people who are doubting you start seeing you as competent and able and trustworthy. Because you really are. You are smart, and strong, and bright, and you have what it takes to lead with dignity and excellency while being your authentic self. You should believe in yourself with all your heart and soul and mind. Only then, will your people take you seriously.

But here is the thing; believing in yourself, that’s just the beginning! Yeah I said it, that is just the beginning. You need to understand that people need a reason to believe in you as their leader. Everyday they need proof, assurance, a reminder that reassures them you are rightfully deserving to be their leader. Without this, your people will only follow because they have to, and that is a dangerous position to be in as a leader.

Leaders and their people have levels of trust. And with every level, comes a lesson and a major area of improvement. Adopted from the 5 levels of influence by John C Maxwell, here are 3 of 5 important situations and circumstances that will help you to intensely improve as a young leader in your sphere of influence.

1. People follow you because they have to. This is the level of influence known as Position, Its merely because of your tittle.Your people really don’t feel or see that you are deserving to be their leader. The best thing you can do at this level is quickly learn to know your people and they you. Allowing you to forge into the next level.
2. People follow because they want to. This is the level of influence built by relationships. Relationships create an atmosphere of permission. At this point people are okay with you being their leader. They should appreciate you because they have gotten the opportunity to know you as a person. As a leader you need to be accessible, make time to talk to your people. Hear them out; what are their dreams, what are their ambitions, what do they want out of life. Let them hear you out; who are you, what you want to do, what are you thinking when it comes to them. It is profoundly significant to really know your people, because this is the foundation of effective leadership. When you know them, you know what motivates them, what disappoints them, what makes them tick and what you can do to be their best leader.
3. People follow because of the results they have seen. This is the level of influence built by the production. Results. The big and small wins. This is really important. After some time your people are expecting to see results, because when they see results it allows them to believe in you. To actually believe despite the fact that you are young, you are steering a course that is worthy, that is promising that really leads to somewhere. And I have by far learned that people want to be led, they want to be assured that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you can deliver results, you are at a place where your people can trust you because they have really sincerely seen what you are capable of.

Take it easy on yourself. And always appreciate the lessons you get along the way. The privilege to lead is servant hood in disguise. What an honor!

May you faithfully lead with dignity and pride. Yes you are young, but always remember: Good things come in small packages 😉

Until next time.

Lynne

LEADING WHEN THERE IS NO HOPE

Leaders are dealers in hope -Napoleon Bonaparte

There are times when life hurts. It hurts so bad. Just thinking about it hurts even more. Its awful how unbearable it may sometimes seem. At times one may want to run away and start a brand new life far far far away.

It is at these times where it is okay not to understand why, It is okay to let yourself feel the pain,it is okay to cry and scream and throw things around (just kidding, please don’t break things). At the end, this is life. In its authentic ugly side.

It is at these times, where we need hope the most.

And sometimes, these difficult terrifying situations happen to us at our workplace or even families. At the place where you are the one taking the lead. Maybe the economy has terribly collapsed that all the energy and effort you and your people are putting into work is just not helping. In fact with every step forward hope is shattered. Or maybe there is just this negative energy that is shattering down the motivation in everyone. Or simply there is just a long history of a terrible reputation for your business and nothing you are doing seems to be working.

You are not alone. Everyone has been there before. It is human and natural to not feel inspired, to feel incapable, to just not have the strength, to not have the energy to wake up every morning and face the drama around your world anymore. It is okay to feel hopeless. But, once hopelessness strikes, you’ve got to fight back. If you nurse yourself in this hopelessness nest you will fall into it, and soon it will require you a whole lot of strength to get rid of it!

I REALLY DON’T CARE WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE GOING THROUGH. YOU NEED TO FIGHT BACK!

Seriously get out of the rut. You should understand that hopelessness is just a state of mind! change how you see it. This will change how you approach it. You need to start looking for the things that are going right and then highlight those. smile about those things, talk about those things. Let those things fill your head that there is no room for all the negative drama going on around you.

Here is a plain truth: People admire those who plant the seed of hope in their lives. And until you are hopeful yourself, there is no way you can help your people be hopeful too. People should look at you and stay in awe of how you manage to just see the bright side even on the darkest of times.

Hope is contagious. When you are hopeful it allows room for the people around you to question their hopelessness, and because of your influence, they slowly become hopeful too. Take a look at Martin Luther King Jr, his hope for a better future entirely affected the people in his time. The dream inside him was too strong to allow hopelessness in his heart. He fought back, and he helped his people get through it. And so can you!

1. Always have a clear picture of what it is you want.
2. Communicate it with your people. Tell them about it, allow them to talk about it, and see if they really understand what you are saying. And I don’t mean you should communicate once, or only occasionally, No. Look for creative ways to deliver the message daily if you can (Without being annoying). You know your people well. They need to see what you see to also remain hopeful.
3. You Must watch your actions and words when difficult situations strike. The slightest things count, how you wear your tie, has something in your routine suddenly changed? Are your eyes red because you spent the entire night crying? At these times, you need to be strong for your people.
4. But most importantly, don’t deny your feelings. Yes, its painful- tell your people that. Let them know you as a person, and how you really feel. Allow them to see what keeps you up at night. But through it all, they should clearly see how hopeful you always are.

Always remember: whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. Buckle up!

Until next time. Lynne.

LEADING WHEN YOU ARE A WOMAN

                                      She believed she could, so she did!

Ladies, this one is for you

For starters, if you are a lady on your early twenties, mid fifties or even on your sixties, and somehow you are in a position of power, authority or influence: I’ve got to give you this, You are awesome. Period.

Please understand that leadership is influence. Not tittle, not a corner office, not CEO privilege or any kind of that relevant stuff. If you have a voice that people listen to, because they believe in who you are and what you have done. And if everything you are doing and have done so far is mostly affecting those around you to be better, to live better and to want to be more, then you have leveraged more of your influence to your community and you are definitely a leader.

For the women in the cooperate world, the ladder to the top can be very challenging, it always is! The office politics, the weight of domestic responsibilities and even the emotional drain resulted from relationship troubles, be it a husband, the kids or even your girlfriends;all these and many more are obvious reasons why it is very different for women and men when it comes to leadership.

I write this respectfully; I know what it is like to co-work with a man, and always feel less. Less important,less valued, and hardly paid attention to. I mostly felt invisible because at times it felt like a work done by the two of us would somehow seem like work done by one person, and all the credit would be given to him.

I don’t really blame him, or all those people who paid less attention to me. Now as I look back, I honestly blame myself. I think somehow, I taught them how to treat me like that, I shrunk from greatness because deep down I also believed I was probably really less, I was secretly hoping to be as good as my co-worker yet deep down I never felt like I measured up.

Ooh I have heard a lot of similar stories like mine. The truth is, the world has set standards for women, standards that are a little lower than what is expected from men. And despite all the campaigns and movements about feminism, I really think the real change about how women should be viewed depends largely on how each woman carries herself, chooses her words, does her job and generally how she relates to the people and situations around her. Paul washer said it well, ‘the way a woman carries herself and the way she dresses ought to promote the following types of words: modesty, discretion, wisdom, beauty, elegance and refinement’

I have learned that having confidence in myself is the greatest gift I can give to myself. I know it can feel intimidating when you are required to do something that you are not sure you can. It is even more intimidating when you have to lead a group of grown women and men into achieving a really big goal. But girl, you need to own it, you need to do all you can to make it work (Look at how far you’ve come!). You need to be confident in you for you! you need to deeply believe in yourself, because this is truly the only thing that will allow those around you to believe in your ability too.

It is clear that men are logical while women are emotional, the biggest break you could give yourself as a woman, is embrace that nature in you. Stop trying to lead like a man. Lead like a woman. Be a mother. Nurture your people, speak life in their work, rebuke, challenge and criticize like a woman would. Really listen to your people. Avoid trying to do it like a man.

The greatest influential women in my life have taught me how a woman can be powerful yet gentle, a blazing fire that makes flames and brightness out of everything thrown into it. They have taught me that women have a voice, that women are more than just mothers and wives, they have shown me a glimpse of how great leaders can emerge from women.

Keep leveraging your influence

Thank you for reading. Don’t forget to share this article with other awesome women in your life through your twitter, Facebook and even your contact list.

Until next time. Lynne.

LEADING WHEN THERE IS NO COMMITMENT

The most difficult thing a leader can face is get his people to be entirely committed.

Let’s face it, everyone has a life. You have your life, your people have their lives, in fact even your 10 year old son has a life. Life is full of events and activities that are constantly screaming for our attention. If we are not careful, Its easy for one thing to take more time and energy than the other depending on our circumstances.

Your people come to work, they do their work and then they go home. Coming to work is one thing, but effectively doing the work is something else. You are probably asking yourself questions; How does she do it like that… she is getting paid for this job, right? How the hell is he always late? How do I keep saying the same thing and he keeps doing the same mistake over and over again? Ooh I am tired of these people, they give me a headache.

Aye, hold on. No offense.. but your people are a reflection of who you are. Their behavior; good or bad is a portrayal of you. How you talk to them, how you give them orders, how you feel about them, how you listen to them, how you behave in front of them, generally how you lead them!

If you are a new leader, then that is a reflection of the previous leader (Something we will talk about in a different article: Leading when you are the NEW GUY!)

Leaders act, followers react. It’s that simple. There is something about leadership that just makes it more tough for the leaders to get their people in their radar. As a leader you need to entirely understand that your people will never go beyond what you will do. If you need them to reach at a particular point of commitment you need to display a much higher commitment. Way much beyond than what is expected from you. But does this always work?

If you need average Joe to give his very best at his job, you need to think of a way to spark a reason for him to do it with such massive energy. The question is, how do you spark that insane level of commitment?

1. Fill the missing puzzle. Every human being on earth has a need, amongst it all the most important need is the need to feel significant. To feel valued, needed and appreciated for his contribution. As a leader you need to learn to meet this need for your people. For some, listening to their ideas is all they need. For others, constantly reminding them they are important and needed is all it takes, while for others they’ll need your support in every step of they way. Just saying if you need anything come to my office may merely be enough. How about if you try going to their office? Order a box of pizza during the lunch break, or better yet, just take one of your people out for lunch. Hear them out, fully know them in person. Your people need to know and feel that you genuinely care about them as human beings. This will allow you to know their needs and expectations. Love them, and they will follow not because they have to, but because they want to.
2. Challenge them to grow. Nothing gets my energy flowing like a leader who compels me to grow! Growth is powerful, it allows your people to sincerely appreciate you for who they are becoming. When people are challenged to grow they deliver, they inspire those around them, and most importantly they commit. Encourage your people to grow by fostering a culture where growth is necessary; grow everyday. Build routines and provide relevant tasks that will allow your people to improve something at their job. Be the leader who provides resources for your people. If your people are trying to be better, to do more, to bring in more sales, maybe implore better services to the customers, or to simply come to work earlier.. and if you are right there tracking their progress it gives them a reason to keep going to keep running, because they feel like they are getting somewhere. And that my friend, is a happy place to be in.

People need a reason to be committed. And once they have that reason, they need help to stay committed. As a leader, despite the many other responsibilities you have to deal with, your people should come first. You need to make time to constantly observe what is happening, what your people are going through, and get to see what they are missing. This will help you see things for what they really are.

As much as we are struggling to get to deal with our uncommitted people, the most important question to ask ourselves is ‘am I 100% committed’?

May you always reflect an insane level of commitment