The accidental leader

 

The accidental leader stumbles on a leadership role without actually planning to, or is someone who hasn’t really worked on fostering and developing their talents.

You may have met people like this. Heck! You might even be one of them.

You know … you were at the right place at the right time, and suddenly find yourself thrust into a prime leadership role.

Make no mistake, sometimes, you might be ripe for the position anyway.

But, more often than not, there simply was no other viable candidate who appeared that moment, or through a series of opportune manoeuvrings, you end up in the hot seat.

Even countries wind up with leaders like this, where the most unlikely person gets the plum job.

These are the “accidental leaders” I refer to.

They are given the responsibility but not the support. They are given the title but not the training. In fact, there are so many people like this in corporate Malaysia, too.

Ergo, it comes as no surprise when some in my leadership coaching sessions lament about their leaders. I often hear them berate their ineffective bosses.

In business, it is clear that this debilitating lack of leadership talent will keep happening if companies continue to promote the wrong employees.

Without having the personality, appropriate skills, or any training, some executives get suddenly elevated to positions of real authority and responsibility.

Of course, accidental leaders may be subject matter specialists, but they will struggle with the demanding pressures of managing people and the intricacies of decision making.

Often, they cannot see the opportunities right in front of them. And, they get overwhelmed with the emotional complexities that any serious leadership role naturally presents.

It is tough to manage conflict and to have difficult conversations with the people you lead.

But instead of rebuking those accidental leaders, I’d like to take it upon myself to offer positive, sensible and long-term ideas for anyone wishing to make the transition into an effective leader.

First, know the difference between management and leadership.

Management success will not actually compensate for incompetent leadership. Surely, you have seen seemingly well managed organisations with poor leaders ultimately fail.

Managers focus on how best to accomplish a task.

They lead task-oriented groups of people who need to effectively deliver a result. They ensure that things are done in a timely manner, and in keeping with agreed outcomes.

Leaders, on the other hand, are only interested in what needs to be accomplished next. They create vision and figure out the direction that everyone should be heading towards.

Only truly effective leaders can determine what makes for growth and vibrancy.

Rather than being convergent thinkers, who only look for well-established answers to a problem, they are divergent thinkers who generate creative ideas by exploring multiple solutions.

So, if you are an accidental leader, you really need to understand what is expected of you in the job.

Reflect on the skills that you lack. Then, please, find the right structured support to help you build and deliver what you are lacking.

Invest in your team.

A quick lesson for any accidental leader is that effective leadership is rarely just about you. It is really about the team that you are in charge of.

You need to first build and invest in a capable team. The reality is, you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with.

Frankly, leaders who build and develop potent teams have always a critical advantage over others.

Let’s look at a sporting analogy. You might think you have the skills of a Cristiano Ronaldo. But if you surround yourself with 10 other footballers who are just mediocre, your personal skills alone will not win you championships.

It takes a successful team that connects, communicates and collaborates with a good leader to succeed.

To transition from being an accidental leader to a formidable one, you must be brave enough to eschew the culture of pre-determined logic. If you surround yourself with sycophants, they will only tell you what they think you want to hear.

But criticism helps and you must welcome different views, otherwise you simply don’t become effective.

Lead by example.

When you ascend to the top leadership position, you automatically become a role model.

This means, even if you have previously never thought of yourself as being an exemplar, you now need to step up and show impeccable values.

Your job entails you advocating integrity, diligence and professionalism to others. Therefore, you really need to be an example of this, yourself. There’s no two ways about it.

Be trustworthy, honest and supportive of your team, and they will do the same for you.

There might be many other views on what makes an effective leader. But I reckon, these are the central ones that an accidental leader needs to adopt, to evolve into an effective leader.

Now, can someone help fix me up with an appointment with our new prime minister? - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.