LEADERSHIP STYLES - By: Prasad Josh

So what is your leadership style?

Are you Authoritarian, Democratic, Servant, Thoughtful

All of the above styles have their merits, some many demerits.

But are we looking in the wrong place in the context of embracing a style that will enhance our relationship with all the major stakeholders in the company, particularly of course our internal and external customers?

The following Sufi story comes to mind:

Nasruddin tells how some people came upon him one night crawling around on his hands and knees under a lamppost.

"What are you looking for?" they asked him.

"I dropped the key to my house," he replied.

They all got down to help him look, but after a fruitless search, someone asked him where he had dropped the key in the first place.

"In the house," Nasruddin answered.

"Then why are you looking under the lamppost?" they asked.

"Because there is more light here," Nasruddin replied.

Have we embraced Nasruddin’s strategy in the context of choosing our Leadership style? Are we buying into the buzzwords and running away from the core competency we need to develop to jumpstart our leadership potential?

This competency is easy to understand but a challenge to fully embrace - the need to be real. Indeed whether you are a CEO, a motivational speaker or a sales person being authentic and real is the only sustainable strategy.

The New Real Leader

The new Real Leader creates leaders at all levels, which is critical if you want the organisation to grow. A recent Gallup study showed that the majority of employees said that their direct line manager was the most important person in the context of their organisational growth. The CEO/Leader - celebrity or not - was merely a figurehead with little or no impact on the employees. Thus line managers need to adopt a leadership role to fully engage workers. Remember engagement is equal to productivity and profitability.

The new Real Leader is not afraid to recruit talented people who can bring the organisation to the next level. His/her understanding and appreciation that life is truly a journey - from dependence as a child to independence to interdependence - allows them to relate to everyone with ease and to tap into the potential of their team.

The Real Leader communicates his/her vision with energy, enthusiasm, clarity and conviction.

The Real Leader cares about their employees and customers, both internal and external, and works to exceed their expectations on an ongoing basis. Considering that so many customers and employees leave businesses on a monthly basis, the ability to retain people is a key skill.

The Real Leader has a love for what they do and sees their job more as a hobby than a work commitment!

Trust, not fear, permeates the company culture.

So how does the Real Leader start the journey to getting real?

Well by initially understanding that the obstacle in front of him/her is themselves, and beginning the journey towards self empowerment.

The more you journey, the more you enhance your relationships and tap into your innate potential and the potential of others.

As always, enjoy the trip.

About the Author

Kevin Kelly is an Internationally Acclaimed Motivational Speaker and authority on entrepreneurship, leadership, sales, creativity and personal excellence. For more information http://www.kevinkellyunlimited.com/

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