REALISM-THE SWORD OF A LEADER
Growing up, I was hailed as an all-round student. That was the most the recurrent comment on the remarks column of my terminal report sheet. All my teachers and colleagues made me believe I can do excellently well in whichever field I chose…..this was what they wanted me to be.
FACT…. Writing and reading comes to me naturally. I read all the books on my Dad’s shelve before primary stage three. Most of the books I had no idea what they were saying but I was still reading. By dealing with my world as I wish it were rather than what it really was then, I ended up struggling with my education during my tertiary stages.
As a leader you must be realistic with yourself. Know the facts about yourself and don’t accept the myths. It is easier accepting the myths than the facts but remember the myths don’t make you, they leave you feeling unfulfilled all through your life. The fact shows you the real picture. When you know your strengths and weaknesses, it enables you to relate better with your followers. Facts about yourself can be very hard to accept but this is the foundation to be the best leader you can ever be.
Knowing the real you is just the foundation, you need to know who your followers really are. This is especially very delicate if you don’t choose your followers. You must take time to critically analyze the actions and thoughts behind the actions of each of your followers. Don’t generalize their actions!!! They are individuals… grouping actions of your followers together creates a myth about them. When a follower says am not motivated to do this, it is easy to assume one reason or the other but are you being realistic? Motivation may mean money to KIKI but to AFI, it could mean just showing gratitude and appreciation for her contribution.
Learn to deal with your followers as they are not as you wish they were. Gather the facts about them and discipline yourself to remain objective rather than reinforcing earlier thoughts or justification. If you are not happy about the facts gathered, get busy working on them. Never allow yourself to wish, hope or trust that something will change suddenly. Get busy….work till something changes.
Realism goes beyond yourself and your followers. What are the rules of the game you have found yourself playing? You can be the most skillful player of a game but if you don’t play according to the rules, you are better off not playing at all. Get the real picture about your environment and deal with it. If you head an investment firm and you don’t follow the basic rules of investing, rather basing your decision on hope, you will soon find yourself obeying gravity.
As a leader, you must be aware of the constant changes around you and in your industry. Realism is accepting the changes and changing with them. This is the only way you can be useful to your followers and to your cause. Your ability and willingness to deal straightforwardly with the truth of your business measures your realism.
Jack Welch,Former President of General Electric calls this the “Reality Principle”. He approaches every problem, difficulty or situation with the number one question “What is the reality?” Peter Drucker refers to this quality of realism “intellectual honesty” and this is a quality of self actualised people according to Abraham Maslow.
After reading this, I know you have no doubt in your mind that Realism is really the sword of a leader. By being realistic, a leader conquers all…………………
Friday, March 12, 2010
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