Last week I had the opportunity to prepare for a high level interview as a company flew me to their headquarters to further explore my fit for a position. I have not pursued the interview process for a decade and a half and felt some significant trepidation over the entire process. In the end, it went very well and was quite an enjoyable adventure. The preparation process provided much opportunity to take inventory of my own philosophy that has developed over the course of my adult life. I wanted to be prepared to present my core beliefs in a practical and concise manner. Here is some of what I self-identified as some core personal and business beliefs:
1. People want to matter, they want to make a difference. This applies to their jobs as well as to their overall life. People want to feel like the eight or ten hours they spend engaged in their occupation has some purpose beyond "putting in time". An extension of this claim is the belief that people basically (there are always some exceptions) want to succeed; they want to make a contribution. The problem is they are often held back from this out of fear/lack of confidence, a work environment or management situation that does not allow or facilitate this or finally, some don't have the "tools" (the know-how, the habits, a strategy, etc.) to succeed. The good news is that proper leadership can often facilitate success.
2. We should manage figures and processes but you lead people. That is a primary difference between "management" and "leadership". No one likes to be "managed" but most of us will follow a good leader into hell for a worthy or noble cause.
3. Subordinates will be as committed as they see you (their leader) are. The truth is, most followers do not preform because they are reflecting the cues (conscious or subconscious) of their leader(s).
4. Leadership is most effectively and powerfully done on a one-to-one basis. A prerequisite to this type of leadership is knowing the names (at the very least) of your team.
5. Goodness, honesty and hard work will always win the day.
6. Most victories are gained on the extra mile (where most people don't venture).
There you are, a look inside my mind and heart. Any additions? Please make recommendations.
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