What Leadership Is All About

Greetings Leaders!

I recently finished teaching a project leadership class and as usual we had some great discussions on what leadership is all about. I believe that there are two facets to leadership:

1. Getting Things Done
2. Honoring others

Getting Things Done

Leaders must get things done. Period. No excuses. No exceptions. If you can’t get things done, you are not leading. Leaders get things done. Having said that, don’t confuse winning with accomplishing. As a leader your goal should never be to win. You can’t control that. Your goal should be to accomplish all the things needed to win. Let’s take submitting a  proposal or bid as an example. Your goal should be to submit the best proposal possible. It should be thorough, compelling, accurate and pristine. If you submit a quality proposal, but lose to a competitor, you’ve still accomplished your goals. However, if you submit a proposal of low quality, you are not getting things done.

Honoring Others

A leader must not only get things done, but must also honor others in the process. When we consider “others”, we are talking about everyone. The things you do should honor the following people:

1. Customers/Clients
2. Employees/Team Members
3. Your family and the families of your employees
4. Shareholders
5. The general public
6. Your specific industry

If you are getting things done, but someone else is harmed  by your actions, you are not leading. A leader honors others.

All the best!
All the time!
JT

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