What Makes a Leader?

This post is primarily targeted at Quality Managers, but it could equally apply to any kind of leader.  LEADERSHIP, rather than MANAGEMENTSHIP, is more important for Quality Managers than most others. 

Although Quality Managers may perch atop a substantial orgchart, in many organizations they have a miniscule (or no) staff.  They have to make their decisions count through influence and persuasion. 

So, in general, ITS MORE IMPORTANT FOR QUALITY MANAGERS TO LEAD THAN OTHER MANAGERS.

Q.  How do you know you're a leader?  Are you perched at the top of some orgchart?  Does that make you a leader? 

A.  It depends on how you manage. 

• If your reports do what you tell them to do because they must or they will suffer some horror, like a bad performance review, a career short-circuit, or get fired, then you're not a leader.  You're a commander. 
• If your modus operandi is to keep a close eye on your reports so they know that if they screw up, they'll get punished, then you're not a leader.  You're a commander.
• If you complain incessantly about being overworked and how you can't get good help anymore, then you're not a leader.  You're a commander.

OTOH if your reports believe in the goals of the organization and follow your directions because they trust you, and know that your goals are also the goals of the organization, then you're a leader.

In short, if you're behind them beating them forward, you're a commander.  If you look behind you and they're following you, you're a leader.

Q.  How do you become a leader?

A.  Six Steps:

• You need to ALIGN the goals of your followers and the goals of the organization.  That can take a lot of explaining.  It can be time consuming.  But it is LESS time consuming than hovering over your followers all the time, harassing them to do THEIR job the exact way YOU would do it.  Sometimes you may want to adjust the goals of the organization because your followers have a better idea.  The more you are open to, and solicitous of their ideas, the better.

The key point is that leadership is less dependent on the HOW and the WHAT, than on the WHY.

• EMPATHIZE with your followers.  There are more similarities between you and them than differences.
• Earn their TRUST.  Trust is built up one brick at a time.  If you fail to meet one commitment that you made, the whole wall comes down.  Be careful what you commit to.
• Show your followers that you CARE about them.  Within company policies do your best to look out for them.  They are watching you more carefully than you can imagine and they will  pay you back handsomely.
• LISTEN actively to them.  Listen more, talk less.
• CLARIFY to them what choices they have, and what choices they DON’T have.  They are adults.  Don’t candy coat bad news.

Circling back to the beginning, this post is targeted for quality managers.  They are not in line management and therefore can’t direct production workers to follow their edicts.  However, as organizations get flattened, more and more people have to work horizontally to get stuff done.  These kinds of soft skills are critical to career advancement in every profession.

How about you?  Do you have a similar story?  What has worked best for you?  Comment below.