Effective Leaders Wear Two Hats

Going back to when I was young boy and over the years, I have observed that my bent, or bias was toward building relationships (leading).

I also had a knack for “getting things done” (obtaining results). And it was not because I was good at getting results (managing)… I got things done by surrounding myself with people who were great at getting results.

Two Hats

As our business grew one thing never changed…the way I led our company:

• I found myself putting on my relationship hat and have discussions about our people, e.g. recruiting, selection, hiring, new employee orientation, etc.,…

• AND then, I would put on my results hat and talk about the things of our business, e.g. financial statements, trucks, warehouses, etc.,…

• AND then, I would put back on my relationship hat to talk about the training of our people who work on our trucks and in the warehouses.

Every person can become an effective leader by embracing the two “R” factors:

• As you drive for Results,

• You also maintain and enhance Relationships

The Genius of the AND

Best-selling author, Jim Collins, in his book, Built to Last, said, “Instead of being oppressed by the ‘Tyranny of the OR,’ highly visionary companies liberate themselves with the ‘Genius of the AND’….Instead of choosing between A OR B, they figure out a way to have both A AND B.”

Jim Collins went on to say that this was NOT about “balance” where you go to the midpoint, fifty-fifty, or half and half.

In short, highly visionary companies are preserving and never changing a tightly held core ideology (core values and purpose)…AND stimulating vigorous change and movement…both, at the same time, all the time.

Drive for Results

Effective leaders never lose sight of the fundamental importance of their need to oversee their team’s drive for results.

They need to be good at analyzing, planning, prioritizing, deciding, initiating, and following-through. But, and this is important, they don’t decide by themselves, rather, they make decisions in a participative way with their employees.

Enhance Relationships

Effective leaders also have learned that as they drive for results, it is equally important that they build, maintain, and enhance positive relationships.

Leadership is not a function of titles – it is a function of relationships!

It’s a matter of all teammates banding together with mutual respect, trust, understanding and commitment to the organization’s goals.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.  As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.    1 Peter 4:8-10 

Fully effective leaders must be able to identify, select, coach, guide, support, and help good people so they can achieve continual improvement.

Perhaps most importantly, leaders must relate with employees in ways that will help them feel good about themselves, their work, and their organization.

You can achieve these key relationships by…

• Involving your people in the decision-making process,

• Keeping an open mind and respecting others’ views, and

• Encouraging communication, coordination, and cooperation among all your team members.

In short, we, as leaders, should see ourselves as servant leaders.

And the key to becoming the most effective leader is to employ BOTH relationships AND results (leading AND managing).

Do you find yourself wearing only one hat? –the hat to drive for results? Have you accepted the fact that you can learn how to improve and enhance relationships? Please share your comments by clicking <here>.