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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Okechukwu Ofili: 10 Commandments Of Leadership [The Trent Voices]

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by Okechukwu Ofili

Monday is around the corner…that dreaded day for many.

Fortunately, before I left the office last Friday I stumbled upon an amazing article on inc.com titled 10 Tips for Leadership When You’re Not the Boss by Suzanne Lucas. I read the article and was blown away by its appropriateness when it comes to leading (newsflash we are all leaders) the work place.

I found myself nodding as I read and was so moved by the article that I saved it printed it and read it again. It was that good…so good that I had to share it with you. I personally call them the 10 Commandments Of Leadership, they are that good and here they are:

1. Communicate clearly. Leaders don’t grumble behind closed doors when things don’t go their way. They don’t say yes when they should have said no. They say what they mean, and do so in a way that people understand. This is not advocating rudeness, but it is advocating dropping passive-aggressive behavior.

2. Learn flexibility. There’s rarely a “right” way to do something. If you are going to insist that things be done a certain way, you’re headed down the micro-manager path, and that’s not what leadership is about. Ask yourself, “Is this the wrong way to do it, or is it just a different way?”

3. Don’t be a doormat. Leaders stand up for themselves, politely. Jerks stand up for themselves rudely. If somebody interrupts you in a meeting, simply say, “I’m sorry, can I finish?” If your slimy co-worker tries to dump her work on you, say, “That won’t be possible.” Does this mean you never do a favor? Absolutely not. You do do favors, but you do so because you are nice or because it benefits you and the company, not because you can’t say no.

4. Help others. Leaders bring others along with them, and share credit for work well done. Leaders don’t look for opportunities to step on others, but rather look for opportunities to help others succeed. Remember, a leader is someone who demonstrates desirable characteristics.

5. Take responsibility for your mistakes. We all make mistakes. Own your mistakes. When someone points out an error, don’t start throwing blame, simply say, “Thanks for letting me know. Let me fix that.” Additionally, when things start going south, ask for help rather than panicking and trying to fix everything on your own. That usually makes it worse.

6. Listen to others’ ideas. You may be bursting with ideas and can’t wait until it’s your turn on the stage, but take time to listen to others. Other people have great ideas as well, and a true leader acknowledges that good things can come from many sources. Don’t cut people off. Do solicit ideas. You may be surprised at what you learn.

7. Take risks. Lots of times, people think leaders have led charmed lives where everything went well. This is rarely the case. Failure is an integral part of success. When you can acknowledge that the risks are real but the potential payoff is enough to counteract that, you’re demonstrating leadership. If you jump blindly, that’s stupid. But if you evaluate the situation and take the risk anyway, that’s leadership.

8. Remember to network. Networking isn’t just about finding jobs, it’s about connecting with people. As you learn how to interact with people, you’ll learn which interactions are effective and which are ineffective. As you help others with their career, you’re demonstrating your ability to lead and guide.

9. Develop a thick skin. Illegal and immoral discrimination happens. Accept that it does now and just determine not to let terrible people get you down. The business world is not the university, and the HR department are not counselors. If someone treats you poorly, don’t immediately jump to the conclusion that it was based on some immutable characteristic. Instead, evaluate if what they said or did was justified. If it was, change your behavior. If it wasn’t, don’t let it bother you. Now, in an egregious situation, absolutely report it, but let most things roll off your back.

10. Don’t ask for special treatment. All that stuff you learned about being inherently special? False. You’re not. I’m not. No one is. So stop asking for special treatment and exceptions to rules. Now, can you become special by working harder and smarter than everyone else. You’ll get special treatment when you deserve it. That isn’t to say you can’t ask for a raise or a promotion for extra behavior. That’s not special treatment–that’s something you earn by being awesome.

Okechukwu Ofili is an author, speaker, and blogger and a The Trent Elite Voice. Follow him on twitterFacebook or subscribe to his blog for more honest talk and as @ofilispeaks on instagram for more sketches! To bring Ofili to your school or organization as a speaker simply go here. His third book How Intelligence Kills was published in December 2013, order it at http://bit.ly/intelligencekills.

Opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

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