Leadership Ability - A Hallmark of Success

A man once worked himself up so much until he was fagged out. He was being strong I suppose. Save for the advice to delegate authority, he could have achieved just next to nothing. Leadership is the inherent ability one has to transfer skills, knowledge, and otherwise to another. It is invariably a hallmark for resounding success. “Leadership is not about title, position, or flowchart. It is about one life influencing another”. - John C. Maxwell. Great and successful leaders are those whose lives and actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.
It’s confounding to know that we have very many “great” people but quite a few leaders. Yeah I know you’re wondering, “can someone become great if he is not a leader?” I will say yes and don’t get me wrong. Though strong leadership traits are ineluctable for greatness, it does not follow that every great person is a leader. There is a difference between being a leader and being a ruler. Don't forget, there are opportunists who become great but are no less than bullies. In the era of slavery, many were great merchants and tyrants, and had lots of influence, yet they were far from leaders. Leadership is not an exertion of force, but the distinguishing qualities in one’s personality that makes him attractive to others who in turn willingly desire to follow.

It should be noted that people don’t follow causes; they follow people. Nevertheless, not just anybody, people identify leaders and follow them. Good leaders earn loyalty. A true leader does not just focus on winning always but on making others win. He measures success by the success of his protégées. Good leadership accounts for the success of many great occurrences in history. When looking at building successful business ventures no matter the size, the ability to adequately co-ordinate and manage both financial and human resources is desirable. Having a brilliant idea and bringing together a team of people to substantiate the dream is a great way to success. It however takes good leadership to sustain the tempo. Not to sound like a freak, Steve Wozniak is a great guy, and was the brain behind the Apple Inc. He single-handedly designed the software and hardware for the first systems that brought Apple Inc to light. He however needed the strong leadership traits of Steve Jobs to take the corporation to the great heights it soared and soars today. 

Now, a great leader I’ll like to mention is Jim Sinegal, the erstwhile CEO of Costco. Sinegal built an amiable business with a strategy not just based on opportunism in capitalism, unlike many other business owners, but one that focuses on adding great value to the employees, shareholders and the customers alike. While it is true that Costco’s success is tied to many other strategies, it's imperative to say however, that its investments in personnel development is unprecedented. According to a Bloomberg Businessweek article, Costco pays its employees well, adding to the fact that it also builds them for a meaningful and successful career. Costco cultivates employees who work the floor in the warehouse and sponsors them through graduate school. Seventy percent of its managers started at the company by pushing carts and ringing cash registers. Over eighty percent of employees have company sponsored health insurance. Come to think of it: when you know that your employer has your interest at heart, cares for your family and wants to see you succeed, it is natural to desire to reciprocate that act of kindness, thus making productivity high. This is what leadership is about. And trust me, it pays off. I’m not talking about big hand-outs. It’s not just the money. It’s the feel that you’re important and appreciated. There is nothing more than feeling secure. A successful leader exhibits qualities that get people attracted and loyal to him. Costco reportedly has annual work turnover of less than 6%. The positive attitude of the employees attested to by all, is a reflection of the success of the company’s leadership. This loyalty has kept the company outstanding. While other competitors are closing stores or struggling to break even, they blossom. “Employee loyalty begins with the employer loyalty. Your employees should know that if they do the job they were hired to do with a reasonable amount of competence and efficiency, you will support them” – Harvey Mackay.

Sure, we all want to be great leaders indeed. The high point here is that when we develop ourselves and build strong leadership qualities, we earn loyalty. Grace Murray Hopper said, “Leadership is a two way street, loyalty up, and loyalty down”. Remembering people like +Glenn Kelman, Nelson Mandela,  Howard Schultz, and Jim Lentz strikes a chord. Strong leadership ability is undeniably a hallmark for great heights of success in life. Leaders are not born but made. In the next post on leadership, we shall see some major qualities that make for a good leader, and the systematic approach to develop strong leadership traits… See you at the top.