Leadership Personalities Laid Back, Hesitant or Avoider
Leadership is the quality that few own it. Everyone wants to be a leader, preach others and want other to follow him or her. Everybody wants to a boss of others, and this arises conflicts in the society. Leadership has great importance in every field such as military, corporate businesses, etc. Leaders tend to bear many personalities. Some lead the team from the front and takes up challenges and obstacles head on. And behind him stands the entire team to push or help him. Some leaders have laid back attitude. They stand in the team at the back and see their team fighting with problems at the front. In severe situations where the team is not able to handle the situation anymore and threatens to spiral out of hand, the leader pitches in and fixes the situation. This kind of approach has multiple advantages. First, it builds the team's immune system to fight any challenge independently. Second, the team gets an on the field value adds knowledge session of how to deal with such situation. So from next time the team does not need its leaders help to deal with any such similar challenges. The team can deal on its own. This way the team pushes its limit and extends its capabilities.
Leadership is the position where one cannot be an avoider. Imagine a captain of a ship abandons the ship in the middle of a storm. Is this ship going to survive? Team members or the followers must have the confidence in their leader that he has the vision and the capability to solve any arising problem. But if the Captain of this team abandons the team in the hour of need, will anybody trust him as the person next time? The answer is a No. More frustrations build up when question required being answered unanswered. Unrest and hatred grow in the team, and the team collective ability hits a loss. As potential team members will leave the company and join greener pastures of rival companies.
Among the all the Presidents of United States, Abraham Lincoln is considered the greatest because he was the one who led America through the troubled waters of Civil War. A real leader is time tested. No school or management institute can build leaders. Some are born leaders, and some are made leaders from the inspiration of some true leader. Good leaders always keep everybody guessing. Not even his confidants and his team can predict with surety his next brilliant move. It is what takes his opponents by surprise and provides him with a winning edge.
Here the conditions are different. A coward is hesitant and avoided and at the slightest pretext, he slips away from the scenario. But a leader is hesitant and avoiding to make time for his move which proves lethal to his enemies. When a leader is silent, he is listening to others and thinking very deeply. Because when he speaks, he speaks with command. He may not be involved in the day to day battles and least bothered if these are won or lost. But at the time of wars, you will see his action and how it brings desired results.
One of the most brilliant Managers I have ever worked with in my entire career till date. He was least bothered about the day to day work of the team making of the presentation and preparation for the client presentation. He used to take seldom acknowledge the effort its team is making and struggling to make the client interview successful. But his attitude completely changes just a week before the decision day. He used to review the deck and ask to make the necessary modifications. Briefs team of the latest market information about the client along with the pep talk. That was it. The team was fully energised, and all earlier hardships were forgotten and fully ready to take the Client questions head on. With this team effort, we had won many customer deals under his leadership.
One cannot have a shaky top. The trees that are not well grounded are prone to be uprooted during the storm. So are corporations. The leadership should be strong, and its messages should be loud and clear to its team. The team should have confidence in its leadership, and it is this confidence that gives the team the strength to fight back at its adversaries. Avoiders cannot be winners and losers cannot be choosers.
Leaders must know the correct time to change. They should welcome change with a positive note. The period of silence and avoidance must stop and must be replacing with direct action and taking problems at face. The paradigm shift in attitude must be done for the betterment of the team and company as a whole. Fear should not stop a leader from taking actions.