This will be a relatively short blog because I want you to take some time to think about it – consider it food for thought. Do you really need a title to lead? Is the title something magical that makes you a leader? If you got a new position tomorrow with a leadership title, would you be a leader? I’ve had a leadership title for a long time in my career, but that isn’t what I have relied on when I needed to lead.
While it’s a wonderful honor to get selected for a leadership position, there is nothing magical about the new job title. With the new title comes authority and responsibility, but those don’t make you a leader either. Becoming a leader – an effective leader – is a learning journey that takes a lot of personal effort. We’ll talk more about that in another blog…
That doesn’t mean however, that each of us can’t lead over the course of the work day. I see leadership every day in the yard. I especially like it when I see people on the deckplates demonstrating leadership – regardless of title – and I see it a lot.
In my earlier blog on Effective Leadership, I said in the first sentence: Effective leaders influence people to do things that you need done – the key word is influencing!
If influencing is at the root of leadership, then anyone can lead, right? We all have the capacity to influence those around us. What do you think – are you leading every day at work? If not, why not?
By the way, I am very happy to see progress in the deployment and use of the viz-boards in many areas of the company as I’m out walking our shipyard. If you haven’t already, check out viz-boards in other areas. You’ll find that they allow you to quickly get a sense of how different teams are performing to our overall company goals.
Although you may not realize it, the operating system is already starting to work. Thank you! So much of what we do in business is a journey; it is planned, deliberate and it takes time.
See you on the deckplates!
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