Here’s a simple truth. Leaders can be placed into two categories… Those that sit back and wait and those that get up and do. I’ve been around, worked with and observed both of these types of leaders and if you pay attention you can spot either one pretty easily. Here’s what they look like…
The Sit Back and Wait Leader:
- Reactive to events and situations – In other words he has no vision, no plan, no accountability and no idea what he’s doing. He will oppose any effort to define expectations and track results, especially on himself or his pet projects.
- Will not lead by example – He’s the definition of “do as I say not as I do” leadership. He likes having the power to make the decisions (or the power to “not” make decisions) but he’s not willing to put in the time and leadership necessary to implement the decisions.
- Checked out – This so-called leader misses many meetings, he arrives to work late and leaves early and alway has an excuse for doing so. The organization is not in his top 5 most important things in his life. He’s more focused on his agenda or anything other than the organization. He does the minimum needed to manage the fires.
- Reasons and excuses – This is where his creativity shines! He has a reason for “not” and an excuse for “why”. And sometimes he puts the “why” and the “not” together to explain why not, why we can’t and why we should wait and put off moving forward.
- A control freak – He doesn’t want to let go of any power he has gained. He’s threatened by the development of new leaders. He takes credit for other’s work and is quick to spread the blame.
- Hush Hush – He is secretive and likes to keep people in the dark about what’s going on. The less people know the more he can control things or at least that’s what he thinks. It’s also used as a way of intimidation… “I know and you don’t”.
- Agenda driven – He is more focused on a specific department of the organization than the organization. The majority of his decisions, his objections and his support center around “how will it affect” my department or my pet project.
The Get Up and Go Leader:
- Proactive – He has a clear vision, a plan and has a process of accountability in place. If you follow him you know these things as well. You can see it and you can feel it.
- Leads by example – He cares about his people and the organization. He will make every effort to understand how his decisions will impact both.
- Deeply involved – It’s difficult to match his passion for the organization and he is clearly operating in his sweet-spot.
- Solutions focused – He is optimistic about the organization’s future. He believes in his people and their talents. He thrives on turning issues and challenges into success stories. Problems are permanently solved. He puts out the fires.
- Looks for talent – He is always looking for and developing the next leaders. He empowers his team and expects performance.
- Shares and receives openly – He’s transparent. He shines the light on performance, deals with weaknesses and establishes and enforces clear lines of communication.
- Organization driven – He is all about the organization first. He believes every department, team and person should base their goals, agendas and focus on the vision and plan of the organization and holds them accountable.
After reading these traits, now comes the fun part… facing the reality of where you are as a leader. If you’re in the category of the “Wait and see” leader, then get up and do something to change that. If that’s not an option, consider getting up and going elsewhere.
