When business is going well, is it because you’re a great leader?  It can be tempting to think so, but you’d be wrong.  Success isn’t about you.

Leadership is about Vision and Strategic Direction.  It’s also fundamentally about attracting and engaging the right people who will generate desired results, then providing them with the resources, information and training they need.  Next, it’s about turning those people loose to collaborate and produce desired outcomes for clients.  Their success in doing so is not because you’re a great leader; it’s because they are inspired people, working toward shared goals in an environment of mutual respect and trust.

Alternately, if there are failures in execution, that could well be because you’re not a great leader. Leaders must own the outcomes.  But, you might argue, how can Success be attributed to others and yet Failure belong to you?  That’s because leaders hold a unique position of responsibility.  Taking credit for the accomplishments of others isn’t leadership; it’s opportunistic.  Pushing blame to team members isn’t leadership, either; it’s lack of ownership.

If Business isn’t tracking according to plan, the first place to look is in the mirror.  The next place to look is at the people who are responsible for accomplishing the work and creating value for clients and stakeholders.  Over time, it’s those people who make it happen.  If you have the right people, who embrace executing the mission with dedication and commitment, is it because you’re a great leader?  Indeed that aspect could be partially true, if the winning team is one you’ve personally recruited and nurtured.

If the team you’re leading is recently inherited, however, leaders must be careful not to confuse their results with yours.  Is it because you’re a great leader?  Only time will tell…..

Tempus Maximize!