Strategic Lessons from the Leader who Built an Empire - Essay Example

The traits of a leader make a company great or allow it to falter into a hostile takeover. Strong leaders hone their skills, surround themselves withwise advisors, and build loyalty not only with employees but other leaders as well. We see by the legacy they leave who's a good leader and who lets fear, resentment, and revenge rule their companies, countries, and kingdoms. Being a leader, or becoming one, takes proficiency in talents such as building character - your own first; for you are only as good as the people who follow you. In any leadership position, an image of strength, confidence, ability to lead, and being ahead of the curve cause people to take notice. The creation of an image can be learned, and should be part of your constant education. Your actions also show what type of leader you are; if you are effective you're your message, and whether or not your peers and employees with stand with you. Unwillingness to "walk the talk" portrays a dictatorship and your employees' resistance will be seen. Leading by doing is a more effective, powerful way in expressing what needs to be done in the company, and that you are not afraid of doing it yourself. While not every management position provides this opportunity, your people should know you would do whatever it takes to do the job right. The image portrayed will be one of strong character and dedication. Your company will gain respect, new customers, and stronger appeal for investors. The image of the leader of an organization is the image of the company. Is your image the one you want the world to see If not, change what needs to be changed. Image Do you know who you are as a leader What actions are you willing to take What actions are you willing to avoid If you lead, would you follow where you were going Creating a leadership image is the ability to ask yourself these questions. How you speak, act, direct, advise, and ask for advice demonstrates the leader you are (or are not). Elizabeth I essentially judged a bastard child, never allowed that "title" to be who she was at any time in her life. She rose to Queen, ruled her country, and created a legacy great leaders emulate today. A life of adversity, Elizabeth I should have given up -jailed numerous times, hated by her half-sister Mary, and child of a mother beheaded by her own father. She created the life she wanted, the leader she wanted to be, and the Queen a country followed. You must create the image you want or someone will create it for you. Learning from mentors, both in person and through reading, cause you to think, act, and become the leader you want to become. The greatest tribute to competent, effective leaders with legacies is duplicate their actions within your own life. Incorporating the best of their legacy into your own life causes better decisions and reduces the mistakes. It will also offers a frame of reference on how to advise a peer, direct an employee, and lead your organization, the same as asking someone in person. Do not be afraid to ask for assistance when you need it, and demand it from the best. Vulnerability in leadership causes personal and professional growth. When unclear of your decision's impact, ask for advice from someone you trust. Affects of Change Evolution, great for adaptations in nature, is also beneficial in business and leadership. Change and growth are advantageous when they are evolutionary and not radical. Utilizing the procedures and protocols that work and adapting or altering the processes that do not, can push your company forward by leaps and bounds. However, change management as a fix is risky, given that you are radically removing and replacing a lot of what does not work in an organization. Internally you will feel resistance and resentment instead of easing into transition. As a leader you want your people to work with you not against your every decision. Realization of what you already have working for you and integration of the new is less traumatic and foreign to people, and adjustments will be smooth. Elizabeth I did this when she was first made Queen of England, after her half-sister Mary died. Instead of removing all the advisors in Mary's council, she integrated the people of her choosing into the current staff. Instead of creating chaos and drastic change within her own council, she moved for slow change, using the talented people who were already there, and began phasing people out whom she did not wish to retain. By doing so, she kept the knowledge of the people intact, allowed her own people to be trained and advised - mentored, and gave the impression of working together instead of against the perceived enemy of Mary. Before creating drastic change within your organization, know areas that need to be altered and which benefits can be strengthened. Wise choices in business are profitable, impromptu choices fail time and time again. Loyalty within and without Loyalty is built by rewarding loyalty no matter what job title someone carries, or how they may benefit you in the future. Trust and loyalty are two ideals that thrust a leader to the foreground. How do you create loyalty within your organization Do you value your employees above all others Or are the stockholders the ones who you place upon a pedestal Realizing who you value in your organization and the reasons for that loyalty will show either faults in your leadership style or the ability to rally the troops in times of crisis. Elizabeth I presents an example of knowing whom your supporters and valued personnel are when Count Feria visited her, on Phillip II's request to advise her on the Anglo-Spanish alliance Phillip wanted to maintain. Elizabeth I knew her loyal subjects and put "great store by the people who put her in her present position". She knew who put her where she was and who kept her there. It was her countrymen not the leaders of other nations. She rewarded her people for that loyalty by giving it back to them with hers. By offering loyalty, you surround yourself with the best. Reward your people when loyalty and confidence are expressed; however, do not reward each employee freely. Use judgment for each situation as bestowing rewards haphazardly can cause the value to be reduced. Sparingly distributed, publicly displayed rewards, and kindness will create dedication and value in employees. Note that you cannot please everyone and disgruntled staff will be wherever you may lead. Even with a reward system, some cannot be won over by your abilities as a leader. Do not be discouraged. Leadership difference Leadership will be one of daily lessons, a lifetime of learning, and evolution. You will grow, adapt or die depending on your ability to assess your skill level, assimilate new ideas, and strengthen the image you created in the beginning. Determine the legacy you would like to leave would be a first step in determining how to be a great leader. Knowing where you have come from without getting stuck in the past will allow you to take the best of yourself into the future. Focus on the future of your organization by seeing where you are currently. Knowing your strengths will direct you toward your goals. Showing your staff how to you plan to get there and what you are willing to do. A leader who will work with their people is one people will get behind, and promote the message/mission. Creating an image of power, openness, evolutionary spirit, and strong communications provides the foundation where great leadership can build upon. Your job will not be rosy all the time. You will need to make tough decisions and have your personnel be willing to follow you through it. Personal feelings can cloud your judgment. Be strong with your decisions and use your best resources - your mentors, advisors, and counsel when you are unsure. You will then be able to speak confidently your decision is correct for the organization. What legacy do you want to leave Is it one set upon shaking ground full of fear tactics Or one built of loyalty, support, and profitability As the leader, you will choose. Application of Elizabethan traits The traits Elizabeth I had while preparing to become the Queen of England, and equally when she did can be utilized in both the corporate and non-profit world. The example I will use is the Berkshire Hathaway mentoring program that is to find a successor to Warren Buffet, one of the greatest financial minds of the 20th century. His company has been built around promotion from within, and when Warren began to realize he needed to find someone to replace him, he looked inside the company for people who had the talent, drive, and some traits he possessed. By utilizing the people who are already there, the strength of the company's mission and practice will continue - promoting within the company. Warren Buffet will also be able to keep his employees' moral up while in the midst of transitioning the company because they know it will be someone they already respect. Warren's mentoring of these individuals will strengthen what the "wizard" knows while building on their own individual strengths. Warren Buffet knows the person to take over the company is not going to "replace" him. They are there to take the company into the future with all the benefits of training with the leader, learning the business from someone while he is still alive, and by being part of the community while rising to the top. Warren shows us that by mentoring, creating loyalty within his company by placing value on his employees, and by utilizing the strengths of individuals already within the organization, your company's legacy will live on long after you as a leader have gone. References: Axelrod, Alan. (2000). Elizabeth I CEO: Strategic lessons from the leader who built an empire. Arnell, Dan. (March 1, 2007) HELP WANTED: Warren Buffett Replacement Read More