Leadership is one of those overused words that, like “freedom” and “neoliberalism”, has lost its meaning. The moment any of these words are uttered in the room, all the intellectual oxygen is consumed. And let’s not even discuss its darker German translation, Führing and Führer.
Perhaps we need to come up with new words that exclude certain type of leaders: the mob-boss, the tyrant, the kingpin. Leadership can emerge from the very bottom. It is not a function of power.
Today’s experience at work made me reflect on what makes a good leader:
- A leader communicates clearly with every single person in their team, making sure everyone is in the same page
- By the same token, a leader does not create gossip by talking negatively about someone behind their backs
- A leader has the courage to have hard conversations with all players
- A leader practices non-violent communication
- A leader sees the better angels of their teamplayers
- A leader establishes a mission and lets team players work on what they are best suited for (often it is what they are passionate about).
- A leader places their team first, taking the blame for mistakes.