What kind of a leader do you choose to be?
Recently I received a forward on WhatsApp. It said something about how the sender always was a huge fan of Sachin Tendulkar, but as she grew, she realised the value of a Rahul Dravid.
For the cricket buffs out there, this is a no- brainer. For those of us, not so keen on the sport, it’s simpler. Every team needs a consistent player. Every team needs a devoted performer, who doesn’t draw energy from being in the spotlight.
Given the optics, it is always the leader or the star performer or the best presenter who hog the limelight. But a team and its leader are co-dependent, none can function better and effectively without the support and encouragement of the other. It won’t be an exaggeration of facts to say that the attitude, trait and psychology of a leader sets the landscape for the culture of a team and an organisation. Ergo the need to understand the psychology behind leadership and how it affects a team’s dynamics and impacts its efficiency and effectiveness.
When it comes to leadership type, you will come across two of its types – Traditional Leadership and Servant Leadership. Where traditional leadership is guided by ‘leader first’ philosophy and focuses on power, servant leadership is guided by ‘servant first’ philosophy and focuses on people and community.
The outbreak of COVID- 19, amidst everything else going on in the world, good or bad, has pushed us all on the same side and has levelled our priorities. The crisis has ironically brought us all together and put forth an important question towards us – Who do we serve and what do we serve for?
The same question applies to our organisational community as well. With the pandemic unfolding itself in the most bizarre ways that it has, it’s time that we realise that community and purpose trumps power.
Answering the following questions will help us choose our leadership style and will lead to building an effective team-
What is the value that the team wants to derive?
Pursuit of a common purpose or a shared goal brings people together forming a team. Every individual constituting the team possesses individual ambitions and values and it’s a leader’s responsibility to keep those values aligned to the team’s objective. For that, it’s imperative to define the value that the team wishes to create and for who. The answer to this question will keep the team focused and directed towards collective ambition.
Do you aim to create followers or leaders?
To what degree are you team able to discuss individual aspirations, convictions, fears and concerns with absolute freedom? To what extent are your team members unafraid get into a disagreement of ideas and thoughts? When you cultivate a culture that creates followers, there is one person who gives orders and others comply. The best they do is put forth their point of view but with no conviction to follow it. When you cultivate a system that enables sharing responsibilities and accountability, you create leaders, for who achieving purpose and value matter more than maintaining order.
‘I want’ or ‘What do you want’ or ‘What do they want’?
With traditional leadership in play, the purpose or goals evolve with the leader’s evolved ambition or vision, while in servant leadership, the ‘impact on the community’ is considered to be the guiding light. So, any evolution in the thought process or external/internal insights has to be justified towards the betterment of the community, who the team serves.
Once we have clear answers to these questions, we will be able to identify the kind of leadership and the kind of team we are looking to build. All we choose to do further to this, will enable us to review and to revamp the organization structure and culture, if need be.
