Leadership matters.
By, Mark Felix
I have always valued great leadership and been fortunate to have worked with great leaders over the course of my career. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with lousy leaders and see firsthand the unfortunate impact they can have on an organization. Bottom line is that leadership makes a profound difference in every part of a company and results can be dramatically improved by having better leaders.
In my career leading businesses in professional services, medical services, strategy development, technology consulting and more, I have often been asked the question of what leadership lessons have I learned over the years that meant the most to me. Time and again I come back to three points.
Point 1: Leadership is easy.
I don’t say this in the sense that being a leader is easy. Leadership presents myriad challenges that all can be difficult in analysis, strategy and execution. What I mean by the statement that leadership is easy is that more often than not, leaders in their gut have a strong feeling for what the right answer is – that’s the easy part. Where leadership gets difficult is in following through on that answer. Whether it’s divesting a favored, legacy business due to substandard returns, letting a top performer with a poor attitude go, parting with a founder who the business has outgrown, more often than not the “right” decision is clear. Following through on the right decision isn’t easy. So leaders oftentimes know what they need to do but the challenge is following through and bringing an aligned organization along. Helping leaders execute the clear, but tough decisions is critical.
The next two points are ones I picked up a number of years ago as a young second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Point 2: Look out for your Marines and accomplish the mission.
Leadership is about balance. It does no good to coddle your team at the expense of delivering the objectives desired. You won’t have a job for very long. Equally, accomplishing the objective at the expense of your team is not a sustainable approach to leadership or business. The best leaders know how to navigate on the continuum of People and Objectives – understanding when to shift the emphasis from one end to the other. Leadership flexibility is a crucial skill.
Point 3: Your Marines eat first.
Leaders look out for their people. Building on the prior concept, if individuals on your team know you respect and value them they will give you the discretionary effort when times are tough. I remember long days “in the field” when everyone was exhausted and cold and hungry and it finally was time for food. There was an unwritten but well-known rule that the more junior Marines ate first. It was one small way of acknowledging that the people who do the real work are invaluable and that by taking care of them, they will take care of you.
These three ideas have sustained me in my numerous leadership roles and inform how I consult with, coach, and train leaders today. Whether driving large entities, small teams or sales organizations, leadership matters and great leaders deliver great results.