Rule #7-Be a Leader!

What does it mean to be a leader? You’ve likely seen this classic infographic depicting the difference between a leader and a boss.

I’ve tended to think of the differences between the two slightly differently.

A boss thinks of themselves as the biggest brain in the room. They are in charge because they are more intelligent than anyone else. The team is there not to use their brains but to do the work. The boss says: “You go do this, like this, and when you’re done, come back, and I’ll tell you the next thing that needs to be done.” The boss doesn’t ask and, frankly, doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. Why would they? They know it all.

Leaders think of themselves as a part of the team, one of many mighty minds working together. They ask the team what they think, and then they listen. The leader understands there may be others on the team who are more familiar with tasks and, therefore, will probably know more than the leader. The leader isn’t afraid of someone being as smart or more intelligent than they are.

As a leader, you must learn to speak last because everyone will start yielding to your words as soon as you talk. Remember, you are just one of many intelligent individuals on the team, and the team’s collective brainpower will dwarf your own.

Imagine you’ve gathered your team together to discuss a particular problem. Everyone in the room probably knows how to solve it best, but before anyone else speaks, you lay out your thought process and how you would solve it. You’ve now inserted bias into the discussion as the person in charge. Some team members will decide not to bother expressing their ideas, while others may do so with far less conviction.

Let the team speak first, knowing their ideas will be listened to. This doesn’t have to mean their ideas will be used, but knowing an idea merits discussion can empower your employees. Once everyone has expressed their ideas and opinions, you can add your thoughts, which will now be additive to the discussion rather than dictating the outcome.