I
think leaders become leaders because they do some things that others don't care
to do. It's not public speaking, although that is pretty scary for most mortals.
It is that they desire, are willing to accept, and ultimately are given more
responsibility. They become more responsible. Some might say that the become
responsible to many or to more than just themselves. And with large leaders, we
might say they then become responsible hundreds, thousands, even
millions.
I
see it a bit differently. Yes, I agree that the become more responsible and in
accepting that role of responsibility, do not become responsible for, but
responsible to others. The difference between those is huge.
Many
people do not want to accept more responsibility. They are comfortable being
responsible for themselves and not to others except in how their performance has
an affect on others. There is nothing wrong with this comfort zone. This person
then becomes responsible for and to themselves only.
The
leader needs to focus on being responsible to the people they lead and those
above them as well, but should avoid any activity in being responsible for those
people. Putting a leader into the position of being responsible for others is
too much of a burden, especially when it is really not their place, but it is
the place of those they lead. We can be only responsible for ourselves, but
taking the responsibility for others destroys our leading capacity. It is
disempowering, and it is doomed to failure in my opinion.
Being
responsible to people is something a leader can and should do and as they focus
on this they have the opportunity to serve in such a way as to be effective and
very productive. As we lead, we need to become critically aware of how we are
doing in our responsibility to those we influence, for that is the best of how a
leader serves.
No comments:
Post a Comment