The fundamentals of leadership using letters of the alphabet.
By Sulaimon Olanrewaju (Culled from Punch Newspapers)
The ABC Of Leadership I
A – Attention to details
Great leaders pay attention to details. They are neither flippant nor frivolous because they know that their work is their signature and therefore endeavour to make it a masterpiece by paying attention to details.
Leaders cannot lead effectively unless they decidedly pay attention to details. Without having details about their followers, they will be hamstrung to help them. Without having details about situations, they will be unable to change them. So, paying attention to details is what makes the difference between outstanding and run of the mill leaders.
For leaders to build anything of significance, they must learn to pay attention to details. That is the thrust of a poem by Benjamin Franklin:
For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For the want of a horse the rider was lost,
For the want of a rider the battle was lost,
For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.
Imagine losing a kingdom because of a nail. That is the cost of failing to pay attention to details. Leaders who do not place premium on details will always have their Waterloo occasioned by seemingly insignificant things.
When leaders fail to pay attention to details, they put their followers in great risk because their failure to do the essential will jeopardize the wellbeing of others. That is what happened to the passengers and crew members aboard The Titanic in April 1912.
The sinking of the Titanic
The Titanic was touted as the unsinkable, largest and most luxurious ocean liner in the world. The ship builders embarked on the exercise essentially to compete with another shipping company, the Cunard Line. The ship lived up to its bidding in all respects but one. It was the largest, no ship its size had ever been built until that time; and it was luxurious, as it was patterned after the Ritz Hotel, a 5-star hotel located in Piccadilly area of London. But it was not unsinkable. So much glamour attended its manufacture that its maiden and unfortunately final voyage was globally celebrated.
The ship took off from Southampton on April 10, 1912. But four days later, while heading towards New York, it hit an iceberg, which caused it to break apart and went down, taking along with it over 1,500 of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew members on board.
Why did such a huge ship suffer such a cruel fate?
According to material scientists, Tim Foecke and Jennifer Hooper McCarty, who examined the wreck in the 1980s, the ship’s rivets contained a high concentration of slag, which makes metal to split apart. Builders of the ship failed to pay attention to critical details about it. Hence, when the ship hit the iceberg, because of the poor quality of the rivets used, it stood no chance of survival.
Destiny is attached to details.
B – Branding
Every leader is a brand. Every leader must have his own signature tune, that distinctive attribute that is solely his, that unmistakable character that is uniquely his. That is what stands him out, that is what makes him unique, that is his brand.
Personal branding is how you define yourself as a leader. It is your trademark and can be an asset or a liability, depending on what you make of it. Your personal branding is the vibe that people get when they have an encounter with you. It is the impression you create. It is the taste you leave in people’s mouth, it is the presence you create even in your absence.
Here are a few things that determine your brand.
Your work – Do you deliver on agreed terms in spite of difficulty or do you turn difficulties to excuses? Steve Jobs had a reputation for always delivering on agreed terms. When Apple started, he managed it excellently well. When office politics led to his exit from Apple, he started NeXT Inc, which became a success. When he was brought back to Apple, the fortune of the company went up again. He gave his all to his work and that defined him.
Your comportment – Do you throw yourself in other people’s faces or are you willing to give others a chance?
Your appearance – Do you ensure you turn out well every time or you don’t give a hoot about your looks?
Your utterance – Do you say your mind or do you mind what you say?
Your attitude – Do you cave in under pressure or are you calm in spite of pressure?
Your relationships – Do you use others or are you willing to give of yourself to others?
Your style – Are you cooperative or combative? Are you a team player or a lone ranger? Do you build bridges or walls? Do you build people up or tear them down?
C – Character
According to Norman Schwarzkopf, “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.”
The mainstay of a leader is his character. Character is who you really are when all the covering is removed. Character is what you practice when you are alone. Your character is the summation of your beliefs and value. Your belief is what propels you to do what you do; your value is the wall which protects you from wrong influences. Your character is what determines whether people want to get close to you or avoid you. Character is not built overnight, it is built over time. A person of character is a person of commitment. A person of commitment is rooted and solid, and avoids the temptation of being swayed by every opinion or situation. A leader with a strong character is unlikely to sell out others because of the pressure of the moment, his strength of character shields him from ethical slips.
To develop strong character, uphold the following virtues:
Integrity – Doing the right thing irrespective of the situation or the persons involved.
Candour – Saying the truth, no matter whose ox is gored.
Loyalty – Staying true to the course you believe in, even in shifting times.