Leadership: Being the Leader is Cool

Being the leader is really cool! The leader has a nice office. The leader has very flexible hours. Leaders can come into work late and leave early. After all, who is going to question when the leader comes to work or goes home? They can take long lunch breaks without having to worry about clocking-in. They sometimes get a parking spot and the car to park in it. Yeah, being the leader is very cool.

Sadly, this is how many executives are viewed by their work force. No one realizes the hours they put in during any given work day, which can and often does, exceed 10 to 16 hours. No one realizes that many executives have already had two phone conferences before arriving at the office, and leaving the office 
early is an effort to get to a dinner on time with an unhappy client. 

Before I go any further, note that I started this scenario referring to the leader. I went on to refer to the executive. Are they not one and the same? What is your opinion? 

The work force looks to its leadership for establishing the direction, the vision of the organization. The leader is looked to for setting the standards of the organization. Setting the standards range from the simple, e.g., what are the core work hours to the complicated, e.g., fair treatment of all employees; I think all will agree “fair” can be a relative word. Leaders are expected to know not just what the organization does, but how it’s done. Leaders are expected to have a conduct that exemplifies what the organization is about. 

Many executives find themselves in leadership positions quite unexpectedly. Some have been promoted into a supervisory position as a result of having good personal sales numbers, others as a result of years of service in the organization. In relatively young organizations, the chief executive and the senior executives were members of the organization at the start. These executives have the full understanding of what the organization does, but may be lacking when it comes to leadership.

 

The ability to lead does not come miraculously with the position. Successful leaders exhibit certain traits and principals that seem to be common among successful leaders, with one of the most important principals being—“know yourself.” The executive leader must shoulder wide ranging responsibilities from providing a vision to establishing work standards as previously noted. There are many expectations of the executive leader. There are expectations from the work force, some of which I have noted above.

Additionally, there are expectations from stock holders, board members, customers, and vendors. The astute executive/leader will also realize there are expectations from the community they operate in and from the families they go home to daily.

Being a leader is cool. It is also hard work. Anyone can become a leader. It takes the desire to do so and development. I referred to traits and principals of leadership, and in future blogs I will begin to address some these and the impact of sound leadership on the organization as well as the individual.

John Boggs, has provided executive leadership and strategy for large, complex organizations and operations throughout his career. He has commanded Marine units at every level of his career and served in numerous key staff positions including the positions of Senior Marine Readiness Analyst for the Secretary of Defense, Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Chief of Staff of the National Defense University, the largest Defense University System in the world.  See More...>