Leaders. Every stage of life offers a new example of one. From the soccer fields in elementary school, to university dormitories, to the offices of our first jobs, and beyond – leaders are everywhere.
And there are some leaders we wish we had never met.
Perhaps you’re still licking wounds from a bad ‘leader’ experience. Well, it may be time for you to get over it, put the voodoo doll down, and think about what you’ve learned.
The worst leaders of our lives can be the best teachers. You may have to do most of the teaching yourself, but bad leaders supply great examples of what not to do.
What I learned
My worst leader experience taught me the importance of communication in leadership. In an age where information is power, my worst leader was an information monger.
This leader made every decision, great and small, without delegation or inclusion of others in the decision-making process. Assistant leaders were in place to share the load but were left constantly out-of-the-loop. Often times, these leaders found out about important information and decisions at the same time as everyone else. This was obvious to everyone and undercut the authority of their positions.
This lack of communication consequently led to the alienation of the leader from the assistant leaders and the other people being led. The leader became an unapproachable and distant figure in their minds, and the working atmosphere became awkward and tense.
But it could’ve been so different.
If this leader spent more time sharing information and empowering the assistant leaders, a much better experience for everyone would have been the result. Communicating more consistently with the people being led, and asking them for input and ideas would also have contributed to a better team environment.
I think that a lot of the time it is insecurity and anxiety about one’s position that makes a leader an information monger. They understand the power of information and fear that in sharing it they will lose some of their authority and respect. But this has the adverse effect.
People respond to leaders who challenge and inspire them. Good leaders get people involved – stretching them to grow in their abilities. The best leaders in my life were the ones who empowered me. They are the ones who had me tense with nerves and excitement as I was given a task they believed I could do – and that I hoped and prayed that I could do.
Yes, I’ve had some pretty good leaders in my life – ones that inspired me to believe that I could change the world, or at least make a positive dent. It’s human nature to focus on the worst, but if you must, focus on what you can learn.
And most importantly, always remember the good examples.
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