Jun 26 2007
Adamchik’s Laws of Leadership
The JF Guest Author Spot:
“Adamchik’s Laws Of Leadership” by Wally Adamchik
I have discovered three simple principles that, when properly applied, make your leadership journey incredibly rewarding.
Number One – it is all about you. Number Two – it is all about them. Number Three – it is all about the organization.
Number One – It is all about you. You must make the conscious choice to accept the role of leader. It is not enough to occupy a position of leadership (as defined by a box on the org chart with your name on it). In fact, many people have made the choice to lead, and have exercised vast influence, without being in a so-called “leadership” position. In making the choice to lead, you take responsibility for yourself first, and you commit to working on yourself. If you cannot, or will not, lead yourself, you simply cannot lead others. You recognize that you will take some hits in your visible role as leader but you don’t shy away from them. You know your decisions may not always be popular. You understand this comes with the territory and is worth the rewards of leading. Once you have accepted the first law, you are ready to move on to the next.
Number Two – It is all about them. In this case, them refers to those we lead. Your purpose as leader is to engage your employees so they bring 100% of themselves to work, every day. As their leader, you create the right environment for them to motivate themselves and to exceed your expectations. You focus on helping them get better at what they do. This helps them to become more productive and to advance. It also shows them that you are. It helps you, because they require less supervision–which brings us right to law number three.
Number Three – It is about the organization. We come together in associations or businesses to accomplish something that we could not accomplish alone. As an employee, I give you my time and you give me compensation and benefits. As a leader in the organization, you recognize that you are part of the organization, but not the organization itself. Investing your ego and ambition in your job is fine–to a point. In the extreme, it can lead to overbearing, sometimes unethical bosses who think the organization exists to support them. This arrogance ultimately brings failure. The effective leader knows he is part of the team and always works to better the team. The development of strong, new leaders is an essential part of this law. In fact, one of the best legacies a leader can leave is a highly effective organization that performs well in the absence of that supervisor.
It is the insecure leader who wants his successor to fail. Any leader who fails to support an employee–for any reason–hurts the organization, therefore violating Law Number Three.
Clearly, there are many layers to each of these principles. But the first step to higher effectiveness as a leader is to make the choice to be one. Then, focus on your people. Together, you can successfully advance the organization into the future. Once you embrace the three laws, you are on your way to becoming a truly successful leader.
Wally Adamchik, President of FireStarter Speaking and Consulting, is as an author, speaker and business consultant. He helps businesses and organizations apply these leadership philosophies in pursuit of operational excellence in business. His new book NO YELLING: The Nine Secrets of Marine Corps Leadership You MUST Know To WIN In Business is loaded with examples of what effective leadership looks like, and how to do it in the trenches, on the shop floor, and in the office. (www.noyelling.net)
Over at Leadership Turn today, I have featured a piece by my new friend Leanne Hoagland-Smith: “Remarkable Leadership Means Incredible Innovation“ You will enjoy it here
Tomorrow: “The Most Successful People You Know Are Great Goal Setters“
Finally: Today, another good friend, Wendy Weiss, ‘The Queen of Cold Calling’ will be conducting two “How to Follow-up With Prospects” Live Coaching Teleconferences to help business owners, entrepreneurs and sales professionals gain the skills necessary to follow-up with prospects until they buy.
4pm Eastern, Tuesday, June 26th:
How to Follow-up with Prospects, Business-to-Business System
9pm Eastern, Tuesday, June 26th
How to Follow-up with Prospects, a System for Network Marketers
Get all the details and register here:
http://www.wendyweiss.com/howtofollowup/index.html
