Aug 13 08
What My Father Taught Me About Leadership
By Renn Vara
As a career military, self-described “killer,” our father would commonly explain that true leaders lead bullet-filled battle charges without looking back to see if the troops are following. His logic was if a leader has to confirm loyalty, in our father’s words, “He’s already dead.” This explains a lot about me doesn’t it?
Applying this concept to our comparatively mundane working world, managers need to understand the difference between delegating versus owning the work.
So here are a few thoughts about leadership and delegation:
1. Remember you own everything, even when you delegate it. You’re always responsible.
2. Know which of your team can take things on with little-to-no oversight and those who need to have their hands held. Conform to their style and help them grow.
3. Teach them versus doing the work. Try not to fall back to the old axiom, “It’s easier to do it myself.” Always true but not very inspiring.
4. Always lead the toughest work, project, and customer. Don’t delegate it unless a team member truly steps up and has the skills to do it. Your team should see you as a heavy lifting leader versus one who sits behind a desk dictating orders.
5. Keep your plate somewhat open so you can take on emergency projects / customers who are “going south.” Your team should see you as their immediate backup and support.
6. And this is personal to me; leaders should be the ultimate servant in their business. The days of old when the manager was catered to is over. Using my father’s words, your job is to “take the bullet.”
Some years ago after our father’s death, my oldest brother received a phone call from a soldier who had served under our father during the Korean War. They talked for hours. In between tears, this soldier who was now elderly praised our father’s leadership style saying, “Captain Vara always lead the fight saving a lot of boy’s lives.” From this old soldier’s point of view, our father’s battlefield behavior inspired them to rise above their fear, their questioning, and even their self preservation to face the challenge of war.
Now this is obviously a bit heavy for what you and I find ourselves doing day in and day out. But if we apply the general concept of owning the tough jobs, delegating the easier ones, and staying focused on inspiring our team versus checking on their loyalty, we can’t fail. It’s something to think about isn’t it?
Tags: leadership training
It’s not too heavy, it is right on target.