On being a good leader
“It’s one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt for one moment the capacity of the people he’s leading to realize whatever he’s dreaming.”
— Benjamin Zander, conductor of The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a leading interpreter of Mahler and Beethoven
Some of these lessons come the hard way. Being a good leader and being a good father are alike in some ways - treading unknown terrain under circumstances very different from everyone else who’s played that role before. And yet, exhibiting confidence and providing assurance are unsaid responsiblities that come with the job. :-)
Nevertheless, I’ve found some particularly good advice on my arduous and winding path so far…
- Be genuinely interested in advancing the career of your team members, helping them see their strengths and overcome obstacles in their path.
- Help people see purpose and meaning in the work they do, connecting their work to the goals of the end-user.
- “Know Thyself”. Identify your own strengths & weaknesses. Seek to plug gaps with tools or with people having strengths in those areas or both.
- Be clear with your team on what will not be tolerated.
- Establish clear measures of success for the team and ensure that the current score and distance-to-goal are in their face everyday.
- Groom your own successor.
Like most disciplines, I see leadership as a life-long learning pursuit.