First rule of leadership: everything is your fault.
One often stumbles online over the topic of leadership. But as soon as we "dump inspirational leadership quotes" on LinkedIn, there's not much left actually. There's plenty of literature, and much of it is actually useful, but before we delve deeper into the subject, you should concern yourself with a much more fundamental question.
Start With Why (yes, good old Simon Sinek)
The first question that anyone who wants to grow into a leadership role, or who already holds one, should ask themselves: Why do I even want to be a leader?
Let's take a little walk through history:
- Julius Caesar: Politician with a lust for conquest, came, saw, and got backstabbed.
- Louis XVI: Loved building castles and crafting watches, an expert among guillotine testers.
- Abraham Lincoln: Star of the five-dollar bill, ends theater evenings with a Big Bang.
So again: Why the hell do I even want to be a leader? Why should I put myself through this?
Well, we differentiate between "Poor Reasons" and "Good Reasons," which can motivate us to take on this responsibility. The so-called "Poor Reasons" play a role for almost everyone, but if they are the main drivers, then the story will not end well.
Poor Reasons
- Money
- Power
- Prestige
- Someone told you to
Sure, who wouldn't want to earn a bit more. And when asked what you do professionally, of course, you like to say that you are in a position with leadership responsibilities. Power and prestige can actually be summed up in another word: Ego. And your ego is usually an incredibly bad advisor.
In fact, "Someone told you to" is one of the main reasons many people end up in leadership positions. Be it the expectations of parents, social surroundings, or the silly HR that decided in the assessment center that you are a high potential and pushed you into a leadership role. For almost everyone, at least one "Poor Reason" applies when it comes to why they became a leader. However, for success as a leader, it is more crucial whether you also had at least two or three "Good Reasons."
Good Reasons
- Personal Growth
- Professional Growth
- Impact and Influence
- You simply like people
The last point can't be emphasized enough. If you don't enjoy interacting with people, dealing with them, being interested in them, and spending time with them, then leadership in a modern work context is probably not for you. Not so much because one couldn't still achieve good results, but simply because the job will not bring you long-term joy.
Is it enough to enjoy interacting with others? No, of course not. But it is a fundamental building block of successful leadership. And we're not talking about skills here, but solely about the motivation behind the decision to become a leader.
Leadership is hard. It's tough. Done right, it quickly pushes you to your limits. But that's exactly why it's also so beautiful. You quickly find yourself outside your comfort zone, and as is well known, that's precisely the place where the magic starts to happen. If you recognize a few of the "Good Reasons" in yourself, I congratulate you on your career decision. The chances are good that you will actually be happy in the role of a leader in the long term! What tools can help a leader, we'll look at in the next part.
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