You must heard of a great saying every truth is bitter. You also must heard of that, Leadership is a good quality. So today I am going to tell you a bitter truth about the leadership.
1. It’s all about politics-
To succeed at work and in life, you have must know to play master politics.
“Whether we want our boss to give us a raise, our child to stop squirming on the airplane, or the department store to take back our purchase when we don’t have a receipt, every single interaction involves influencing and persuading others in order to get what we want,” says Maloney.
Great leaders understand the importance of persuasion and that, in addition to a great work ethic; you also have to have the “ability to have relatable, effective, and influential relationships.”
2. Success makes you unpopular
When you’re a leader-in-progress, you will have people supporting you, be it your boss or colleagues. However, once you start achieving the expectations that these people have, you’ll be less liked.
Maloney says that to be a great leader, you need to have a “strong will and an even stronger stomach.” At the end of the day, you need to remind yourself that your job isn’t to make everyone happy, but rather to improve the organization as a whole.
3. You are not as interesting to other as you are to yourself
Everyone thinks they’re interesting, but great leaders know their stories aren’t as interesting to other people as they are to themselves. That’s why they keep the focus on the other person.
“They keep their stories short, their complaints even shorter,” writes Maloney. “They don’t send long emails or memos that go on for pages. They leave the other person wanting more. When you turn your attention on the other person, they will inevitably share more about themselves with you, and when this happens, a bond is formed. That’s how you get people to trust you.
4. Everyone is afraid
No matter how confident someone may seem, everyone is afraid of failing.
“We are afraid of screwing up,” says Maloney. “We are afraid of looking stupid.”
But great leaders are successful because they act in the face of fear. They go after what they believe, seek change, and ultimately, make a difference.
5. Someone is always watching
If you have a bad morning before you meet with clients, never let it show on your face.
“People watch. People talk. And communities are small,” Maloney says.
But how do you stay perfectly calm all the time? She advises you maintain a small group of people who you trust. Choose these people carefully, and let your guard down only with them.
6. You need to know how to take credit without taking any credit
Great leaders have no need to toot their own horns or tell others how wonderful they are.
“Know that if you have to explain yourself constantly, take lots of credit, or refrain from risk, then you’re not coming off as a top leader,” Maloney says.
And when they are successful, they give credit to their staff, boards, volunteers, and the community. They also take the responsibility when things don’t go well, she says.
7. Great leaders do not fall in trash talks
If you’ve ever spoken negatively about your organization or the people you work with, you have not realized what great leaders have: Talking trash only hurts you.
People will not trust you or build a deep relationship with you. They may even respect you less � and once that respect is lost, it takes a long time to win back.
“As tempting as it is, don’t trash talk about anyone or anything or any place you are connected to, unless it is with your absolutely small core circle of trusted people, your SWAT team,” Maloney says.
8. You have to go beyond your responsibilities
It’s easy to go to our jobs and do the same tasks every day. Maloney says this is a comfortable, but wrong way of thinking.
Great leaders “don’t work in existing systems,” she says. “They change the systems to give them what they want. They come up with new options for jobs, projects, and professional development that their bosses hadn’t even thought of.
“They see an opportunity coming their way before most of the rest of us have looked up from our laptops, and they seize it.”
9. Great leaders are great networkers
You need to be a good communicator who people remember.
“Great leaders know that every interaction is an opportunity to connect with people in a way that is relatable and professional. To get a level deeper. To be memorable in some way. To get something � if not today, then perhaps tomorrow,” Maloney says.
So don’t ramble on. Instead, provide just enough information about yourself to intrigue others.
“Practice making each conversation � written or in-person � excellent,” she says. “Think through your words for just a second before you say them. Read your emails over before you send them. See them as an opportunity. Over time it won’t just become second nature. It will make you rise above the rest.”
10. You have to have a life outside the job
It’s important to have work-life balance. But aside from this, great leaders know they need a life so that they’ll learn more about other people, gain perspective, and grow their own knowledge.
It’s easy to fall into this “false idea that our work is all that matters,” Maloney writes.”When you have a life, you realize that your life is not the sun. That you are not the center of all things important. … That the challenges you face that feel so unique to you aren’t.”
NIET E-CELL 