On Leadership

This past week has been surreal... It has been like an all hands team meeting organized by all emotions that have existed since the beginning of times. No facilitator, no focus.. I know this is not a platform to discuss natural disasters or political topics. And that's not what I intend to do. This is a place where we converse about leadership... That's what I invite you to do...

So... leadership... This past 9 days helped me understand the fact that 'leader' is not a title, but a behavior.
Leaders can't be hired, can't be appointed.
They are self made.

They are made of giant, generous listening ears. They are made of accountability. They are made of transparency. They are made of consistency. They are made of resourcefulness. They are made of hard work not short cuts. They are made of conviction not convenience.
Not only they are made of these qualities but they also build cultures that glorify them. They make people accountable and responsible. They bring people together to enrich the conversation, to gain perspective.

They do as they say; they say as they do.
They say I am sorry.
They are humble.
They are human.

They leave no room for buzzwords that are open to interpretation. They don't try to hide behind 1 is better than 0 in a world where 10 is the best. They motivate you, equip you and support you to reach out for that 10.

They don't operate on need to know basis. They make every single person the owner of information. They equip people with information so that better decisions can be made and mistakes can be avoided.

They don't micro-manage. They don't create a culture made of unnecessary interdependencies. Especially one that depends solely on himself/herself.

They don't make people fight with one another for resources. They help people to access to resources... whether it is a training, a silent place to work, office equipment, a stable wi-fi connection... or the helping hand of another colleague… They don’t send you out to figure out or find everything on your own.

They surround themselves with people who are experts in their respective fields, instead of hiring their alumni and childhood friends and calling them experts. (Unless their alumni and childhood friends are real experts)

Leaders... whether they are leading a group of 2 or 83 million...
To all brave people who are leading by example...
To all people who are exposed to cultures and environments built by so-called leaders…
To all friends and families we lost...
S.