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 Not all bosses are leaders, and not all leaders are bosses. In past newsletters, we have asked if you have ever been bullied by your boss, and we have talked about finding your "ideal boss". Today, we are going to talk about leaders. What makes a good leader, and why do they make you feel safe?
This newsletter was deeply inspired by a Simon Sinek's presentation at a TED Conference on how leaders can inspire cooperation, trust and change. In some capacity, we all have the power to lead – we just need to be in the right environment. Sinek discusses three main points he believes every strong leader must possess, and we agree!
A leader puts others first. When a leader decides to put the betterment of their organization and their employees first, that is where true leadership is formed. As Sinek states, "It's the leader who sets the tone." Being able to inspire your team and make them feel included, will not only do wonders for the morale of everyone in the organization, but everyone will have a vested interested in reaching the higher goals of the company. This leads us to our next point:
Trust and Cooperation… cannot be taught
Trust and cooperation are things you feel. One simply cannot say, "I want you to trust me, and I want you to cooperate with me." The world is filled with things that we cannot control, which Sinek refers to as "danger". For some, it might be the fear of their business shutting down, for others it may be the economy as a whole. All of these things inhibit growth – something we are all striving for. A leader will make you feel safe, a leader will make you want to cooperate, and in turn you will grow.
The Opportunity… to fail. The opportunity to succeed. A leader helps get you to where you want to be, without any personal mission. They give others the opportunity to be leaders themselves. Through mentorship, understanding, and the former two points (putting others first and trust/cooperation), you too can be a leader.
"We call them leaders because they will choose to sacrifice so that their people will feel safe and protected, and so that their people may gain. And when we do, the natural response is that our people will sacrifice for us." – Sinek
Would you call your boss a leader? Does he/she push you harder to achieve your goals? If not, we might have the right new boss for you!
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How long is too long to stay in a job? How short is too short to stay in a job? Although the real answer to this question isn't set in stone, here's what people are doing these days. Contributor Jeanne Meister for Forbes.com shared some interesting statistics about the average time a person spends in their job.
