Leadership Article 3: Make The Elephant Jump

[Guest guest]

Make The Elephant Jump - Leading With A Kind Heart

 

 

Leadership is not about getting people to do what they want. If they

did what they want, you wouldn't be needed as a leader. Instead, leadership is

about getting people to do what they don't want to do

(or think they can’t do)…….and be ardently committed to doing it.

 

This paradox lies at the heart of all great leadership.

 

Unlike management, which involves simply the care and feeding

of your organisational elephant, it’s great leadership gets that

‘elephant to jump.’

 

Anyone who knows anything about elephants knows that they

may run….stand on their hind legs…..kneel on their fore legs

….or even roll over; but they do not jump.

 

And that's what leadership is all about: getting organisations to

do what they usually can't do, i.e., getting great results consistently.

 

Now, you can't do the jumping yourself. The elephant must do it.

You can't push the elephant into the air. It must jump of its own

volition.

 

Making the elephant jump involves cultivating a special relationship between the

leader and the people of the organisation.

 

Many leaders sadly misunderstand that relationship. They try to use

fear and pain to spur the activity needed to achieve consistently great results.

"Sure, I'll get this elephant to jump……..just give me a cattle prod!"

 

But inducing fear and pain are habit forming and ultimately destructive both to

the leader and the people.

 

To make the elephant jump……not now and then but consistently,

i.e., to lead people to consistently to achieve great results……deep

and human emotional bonding between leader and people must

take place. And fundamental to that bonding is the nature of the

heart of the leader.This is the secret: You can't get the elephant to jump unless you

have a kind heart. Kindness in leadership means following the

Leadership imperative: "I will lead people in such a way that we

not only achieve the needed results but they become better as

leaders and people."Most leaders focus on the first part "getting better results" and

forget about the second part. But in truth, when you have a

kind heart, getting results and helping people be better are not

two things but one.

 

>From now on, see every leadership challenge you face as a way

of having people increase their knowledge……their skills…….

their courage……..their tenacity and their leadership abilities.

Cultivating that perspective is a kindness.

 

But do not mistake kindness for being nice. Do not mistake kindness

for having people simply feel good. And most importantly, do not

mistake kindness for allowing people to indulge the worst aspects

of their character, laziness, inconsiderateness, selfishness, etc.etc.

 

Furthermore, you may be kind and have people be frustrated

with you. Many great leaders I've had relationships with got me

frustrated as they had me go through the trouble of tackling

challenges I might not otherwise have tackled.

 

In fact, deep and human emotional bonding cannot happen

without a great deal of frustration. But I was motivated despite

my frustrations because I recognised that they essentially had

my best interests

at heart.

 

Yes, through skill… education…..persuasiveness…understanding …

love and guidance, you can get the elephant to jump ……as long

as you do it through the kindness of your heart.

- By Brent Filson

 

 

Remain Blessed!

 

 

Duty is God, Work is Worship

[Guest guest]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRECIOUS SERVICE IN SHARING THESE WITH THE FAMILY.

LOVE & BLESSINGS,

UNCLE PAT