CORPORATE AMERICA LEADERS NEEDED! APPLY WITHIN! The title is alarming but I am afraid it is very true. I recently took a leave of absence from the corporate world to sort out some personal matters, which allowed me time to reflect and re-focus on my goals. I consider myself a serial entrepreneur and student of the Success Principles and Universal Laws of Nature. The material you are about to read doesn’t need to be sited or quoted because it doesn’t belong to me or any other man. It is “Universal” the “Law”. An example of Universal law would be gravity, if you don’t believe in gravity try stepping off of a 10 story building and you will become a believer real quick. During this leave of absence I noticed one common factor that was missing with all whom I had to deal with in my daily adventures and personal business dealings. This common factor was leadership. Whether I was at a fast food restaurant, office building, or anywhere else people, meaning companies just didn’t provide good service. As I observed the employees and team members who were the faces of these organizations, I realized why the problem existed. It stems from lack of Leadership, and the company Culture that bad leadership breeds. You know the saying, when the Indian’s are out of order, it is the Chief’s fault. Meaning the Leader. I have come to realize that everything rises and falls on Leadership. The level of your success will depend on the level of your Leadership.
Once I returned back to work, I found myself in a foreign land. It was like waking up from a dream and not recognizing where I was at. I found that I no longer thought like my counterparts or agreed with their methods or modes of operation. In fact I had to make a decision whether to go along with their antiquated practices and business culture. As an Entrepreneur and CEO of my own businesses I have an obligation to myself and my followers to continue to raise my level of Leadership. That’s why I feel this article is needed and that’s why I am sending out this plea, “CORPORATE AMERICA LEADERS NEEDED! APPLY WITHIN!”. Leaders develop daily not in a day. This is a process that takes time neither a promotion or a title can make you a leader. Leaders are not made in microwave ovens, they are produced in a crockpot environment. You need time to slow cook your leadership skills. This is done through education and the continuing efforts that you must make to improve and grow your leadership skills.
I was motivated to write this article by an incident that sent shock waves through my spine and shook my emotional state. I was told by a microwave leader that I had little to no management experience and he was going to tell me how things were going to be. Meaning his way and no discussions on the matter. The I am right because I am the boss syndrome. Now this was coming from my so-called leader who is supposed to be leading me. This is from a so-called leader who I am supposed to be following. Would you follow someone with this outlook on leadership. So I dedicate this article/lesson to this corporate leader, “CORPORATE AMERICA LEADERS NEEDED! APPLY WITHIN!”. You come to expect certain things, when you deal with certain people. So I forgive him, because he knows not better. Like they say,”water seeks its own level”. Beware of the leader who’s ego is higher than his IQ.
Leadership is simple, the ultimate goal is to have enough respect from your team, that they will follow you willingly. Lead by example, so others will want to follow. From a phase of position to the top phase of emulation. Where your followers will try to match or surpass your achievements. As your skills grow as a leader you will experience different phases from your people. These phases will determine the level of success your company or organization will experience under your leadership.
The first phase that occurs is that you get the position. Like all beginner leaders you think to yourself, I am the boss, today I have become a leader. You are the boss indeed, you now have rights and a title, but you are no leader. Think of this as a platform or a starting point to begin to learn and nurture your leadership skills. This newly adquired position is a great place to start but a terrible place to stay. This is the phase that the unlearned and clueless leader attempts to lead from. They get stuck in this beginning phase of leadership never to rise above it. They get caught up in the power and the authority of the POSITION. Not knowing that the leadership ladder has numerous rungs to reach the top. During this first phase, which I will name the Position phase. People follow you because they have to, not because they want to. They follow you because you have the title and the position. If they don’t follow you they won’t have a job or a paycheck. Your new position or title hasn’t earned their respect or received their permission to lead them. In this phase people will give you the least of their energy and efforts as they possibly can. Giving you just enough to keep from being fired. Remember everything rises and falls on leadership. The growth and success of your company or organization depends on its leadership. If a company is being lead by a phase-one leader, that is unconscious of the leadership ladder, with limited leadship skills. The results will be the lack of service and motivation from its employees and team members that is being experienced by us all. We need to raise our level of leadership at the top in order to get the results we need at the bottom. CORPORATE AMERICA LEADERS NEEDED! APPLY WITHIN!
A Phase-one leader attempting to lead from a position and a title will create a culture of a positional company with limited co-operation from its employees. He is attempting to lead a company or organization from a stataus of a position and fear and not the respect or permission of a leader. True leaders influence people, they help other people get what they want in the form of growth and success. Your team will need to follow you because they want to, not because they have to. The leader who leads, but has no followers is just taking a walk by himself. If you consider yourself a leader, ask yourself this question? Who is following you? People respect you for what they see you have done for the company and for what you have done for them. Don’t be a travel agent and send people where you have never been. You have to be successful before you can show someone else how to be successful. Actually walk the path, before you talk the talk. True leaders are achievers, each rung on the Leadership ladder is a Goal they seek.
Since the creation of this article was inspired by a Microwave Leader and his unconscious statement, I will expound on the beginner leaders profile. The Positional Leader, phase-one on the leadership ladder. A positional leader generally operates the organization through their positional power or big stick, basically fear of job loss. Positional leaders do not recruit the best people on their team to safeguard their own position. Fear of being out performed by their subordinates. The team of a positional leader is mediocre, resulting in low levels of performance and effectiveness. He will never encourage his team members to increase their knowledge through further education or corporate training. They generally don’t like to grow the capabilities of their own team members. Employees under positional leaders are demotivated and disengaged. Positional leaders don’t communicate information well with their employees. They only communicate what is required and on a need to know basis. Resulting in assumptions and doubts among employees and team members. Does this sound like a Leader you would like to follow or lead your business? Positional leaders breed positional leaders and perpetuate the culture of a positional company. The managers and leaders under him develop into the same phase-one leaders as him. Never venturing above phase-one leadership. Continuing the cycle and the direction of the company, never experiencing the fruits of true leadership. CORPORATE AMERICA LEADERS NEEDED! APPLY WITHIN!
A True leader who is aspiring to climb the leadership ladder will began to be effective as a leader when he reaches Phase-2. This phase is where you gain the permission from people to lead them. This is where people follow you because they want to. You now have followers that you have brought with you from phase-one up to phase-two. You also have followers down on phase-one that you continue to lead and are aspiring to raise them to phase-2 when they are ready. A true leader will continue to lead people on every phase that he has lead. You have built a relationship with people on phase-1 and now have gain their trust and respect . They will also give you their effort and energy and you can now began to grow as a team. A connection has been made between you and your people. True Leaders want to bring as many people as possible with them as they climb the leadership ladder. Leaders who think leadership is position only stay at phase-1 never experiencing the success or growth of the higher rungs of the success ladder. In short, they never experience LEADERSHIP.
Once a company begans to be lead by a Leader who has grown pass phase-one. They began to experience growth and development in all areas. The employees are more motivated and involved. The subordinates are better equipped and educated. Better people are recruited. A sense of worth is instilled in the employees. Qualified people are positioned well. The results of the culture created are widespread and visible throughout the company or organization.
In conclusion I believe that the lack of good leadership in Corporate America has lead to the lack of good service and trained professionals in today’s industries. It’s the trickle down effect. If the Leaders in today’s corporate world are the ones who are directing the top level companies and providers of services, then Corporate america is indeed in need of new Leaders. It makes me think is Corporate America Positional. Does the positional stand that Corporate America is taking result in the disintegrating values of employees and the services they are paid to provide. That is why I am sending out this Plea, “CORPORATE AMERICA LEADERS NEEDED! APPLY WITHIN!”.
Your comments are welcome. Please comment and let me know if you have an opinion on this matter or on this article. I’m just One More Entrepreneur.
ONE MORE ENTREPRENEUR
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