What kind of leader are you?

By Wisdom Kwame Nuworkpor FCCA, ICA, MBA

A young executive was recently promoted into a supervisory role and he was so excited that he “had been made” a leader.  His exact words were: “thank you for making me a leader”.  What he didn’t know was that, he had in fact gotten himself a position which begins his leadership journey. 

Leadership is a journey and so taking up a supervisory role does not automatically make you a leader.  John Maxwell¹ refers to this kind of leadership as the basic stage of the leadership journey.  This is true because any person can be given a position. Does that make him a leader? Certainly not.  In fact, it is the worst kind of leadership level anyone should remain at.   

In his book “5 levels of leadership”, John Maxwell describes the 5 stages of leadership.  These are Position, Permission, Production, People Development and Pinnacle. The chart below represents the 5 levels of leadership.

Over the next few weeks, we shall be looking at each of the 5 levels of leadership.  In view of this, for today, let us take a look at the very first and basic level of leadership

Level 1 – Position

Position leadership is the lowest level on the leadership hierarchy.  Here, people follow you because they ought to and not because they want to. It is a right assigned to the role.  This kind of leader does not have a team.  Instead, he has subordinates and the relationship here is thus boss-subordinate. 

Position leaders have no influence (except that provided by the authority that comes with the role).  As such, position leaders use the authority vested in them by the position to get the job done.   This kind of leadership depends on regulations, policies, rules, organisational charts and operates within strict boundaries.  There is therefore no motivation for subordinates to go the extra mile. 

It is very easy to identify a team led by a position leader.  Some common habits usually exhibited are:

1. Subordinates are mostly average performers.  They eagerly check the clock waiting for the hour hand to tick at the top of the hour (say 5:00pm) and voila, they are on their way home.
2. The leader hardly appreciates the feelings of the subordinates and so you hear comments from subordinates such as; “my boss doesn’t care about my feelings”.
3. The number one reason for people leaving such organisations is; the leader.

Clearly the position leadership stage should not be the preferred destination of any leader.  It is therefore very important to aim at moving up the ladder to the next level of the leadership hierarchy.  John Maxwell refers to this stage as Permission.  This is the stage at which people follow you because they really want to do so.  We shall be looking at this stage in my next article. 

Please keep your feedback coming through for they are important to me.

References: 

¹ John C. Maxwell (2011), 5 levels of Leadership

Four attributes you should demonstrate when pursuing your dream job

By Wisdom Kwame Nuworkpor FCCA, ICA, MBA

In my previous article, we looked at Six (6) attributes you should not exhibit when pursuing your dream job.  In this article, I will be highlighting four very vital attributes you need to demonstrate when pursuing your dream job or a career progression.  

In his book "I Got My Dream Job and so you can", Pete Leibman1 maintains that every employer needs four variables from potential employees.  Your task as a job seeker is to prove that you can deliver these four needs better than anyone else. These four needs are discussed below:

1. Belief

Employers want people who believe in themselves and people who believe in the mission of their organization.  It is very surprising to see candidates or prospective employees who have no clue about the mission of organisation they intend to work for.  I am not sure how anyone can support in achieving the mission of an organisation if they do not know what it is.  Knowing the mission is one thing and believing in it is another. Both current and potential employees must know the mission of their organisation and believe in it.

One of the questions you will be asked (directly or indirectly) in any interview is “Why do you want this job?” If you don’t have a great answer to that question, that’s a sign you should be looking elsewhere.

2. Excellence

It doesn’t matter what your GPA is or how talented you are if your integrity is questionable or if you look like a slob.   Excellence is essential for getting hired and for achieving career success.

It is very easy to stand out in an organisation because most employees just do the bare minimum or worse.  A little extra effort multiplies quickly over time, and it is always noticed by the people at the top.

3. People / Communication Skills

Regardless of your employer, you will have a boss, you will have colleagues, and your organization will serve other people, whether they are clients, customers, patients, donors, voters, subscribers, or students. To achieve career success, you must get along well with other people, and you must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with them.  

4. Results

Employers hire people for one reason and that is; to solve problems. When you demonstrate that you deliver top-notch results, you will almost always get hired faster and promoted faster. Simply put, if you aren’t solving problems, you aren’t getting hired or promoted. It is therefore very important to be prepared to embrace opportunities to solve problems whenever they arise (for example, an opportunity to provide cover for a colleague in his/her absence).   

I believe strongly that employees who demonstrate these attributes get hired and/or promoted faster than those who do not.  

As you pursue your career aspirations in 2017, I urge you to take these four variables into consideration.  I wish you a very Prosperous 2017.

References:

1. Pete Leibman (2012), I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College.