Leadership for normal people

Remember the “leadership” mania that erupted in the 1990s? Bosses had to emulate Samurai warriors, Roman emperors, ancient Chinese generals and Arctic explorers. They had to be more determined, visionary, ruthless, exemplary, organised and clever than everyone else.

It was fun at the time but it exaggerated the importance of the leader, which is probably why it caught on: it fed bosses’ egos by inviting them to think of themselves as the centre of the drama.

Most good leaders are ‘normal’, as in, not exceptionally driven, wilful, manipulative or ingenious. They emerged into a leadership role through a mix of talent, competence, dedication, length of service, diligence, a sense of pride in what they do, and the happy avoidance of disaster.

Do they need to transform themselves into philosopher-warriors or Machiavellian princes to get more done? No. Can they accomplish more without twisting themselves all out of shape? Yes.

What matters most in organisational effectiveness is solid relationships. Deep and deliberate delegation moves the focus away from your personal traits as a leader and onto what is more important: the relationships amongst your team.