Leadership is complicated and there is no shortage of discussion on Linkedin around the topic, or what defines a good leader. On social media, we are confronted by people who are trying to ‘lead’ all the time, and not all of them are qualified to do so. The good news is, as easy as it is to masquerade as a great leader online, it’s much harder to hold up to scrutiny as a great leader in real life.
Many people learn leadership through playing sports, joining the military, by coaching, by mentoring or being mentored, and more. Personally, the leaders I have thrived under and modeled my mentoring and leadership skills upon have all shown empathy, trustworthiness, competence, great communication skills, and a selfless approach not driven by their ego.
Richard Branson a great leader said it best, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to.” His entire organization is built on this philosophy, and obviously, Virgin Group of Companies has seen great success.
Setting apart the ‘Leaders’ from the ‘Bosses’:
- Leaders set expectations. Great ones are leading by great (even when imperfect) examples. Just like parents do for children, a leader’s behavior (their ethics, motivations, and subsequent actions) becomes the bar for behavior amongst those who report to the leader, and often the entire company. This isn’t revolutionary or rocket science, and I’m not the first to say it. This is simply a reminder that leaders can expect their pack to act similarly to them, so they better watch out for any bad habits they may be passing on. It will be much easier to pass on the bad habits than it will be to pass on the good ones.
- Leaders have their egos in check, and as a result, they acknowledge and give credit to their team members. They do not take credit or ownership for another team member's ideas. Think about how many times you’ve experienced or witnessed a ‘boss’ advance their career using another team member's ideas. This is not leadership, and it’s no wonder people don’t want to follow a ‘boss’ since they tend to bark orders and publicly shame their team for shortcomings they are responsible for.
- Leaders don’t drive without a road map. Most know exactly where they want to go, and they obsess over how to get there. Their excitement for obtaining their vision, their major ‘whys’, and their plan is easily understood by those they lead and therefore easy to work towards as a team. If a leader has a vision but can’t communicate it, they’ll have a team who works hard and wants to please, but are all rowing in different directions. Similarly, if a leader can explain their vision but can’t generate any excitement about ‘why’ it’s worth achieving, their team may not be willing to row very hard, even if it is in the right direction.
Why is it essential to understand all of this in transportation?
Transportation companies don’t all have a great culture. In my career, I’ve come across far more ‘Boss’s’ than ‘Leaders’ and this needs to change.
Companies that have a culture of acknowledging team success, sharing ideas, cross-training, and sharing across departments will be littered with great leaders. These leaders will create a WINNING culture. They will recruit, they will fight, and they will go the extra mile to make their company successful, because it makes them feel successful, and proves their worth as leaders.
What kind of leader motivates you? What type of culture do you want to be part of? Which culture would you want friends and family to be part of with you?
In this current market, companies that have the kind of leaders described will reap the benefits of a winning culture.
