Remembering Mandela: His Lessons For Business Leaders

Today, on his 94 birthday we remember and commemorate Nelson Mandela's accomplishments and contributions.  The hallmark of his leadership style was trust. The greatest leaders in the world gravitated toward Mr. Mandela because they could trust him to consistently live up to his life's mission of peace and freedom.

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Here are 7 leadership pitfalls Madiba always seemed to avoid:

1. Lacking Courage
Leaders that don’t stand up for what they believe in are difficult to respect and trust. Too many leaders today face the dilemma of assimilating our being their authentic selves.   Employees want leaders who are willing to stand up for them, promote them and show confidence in them. 
When leaders lack the courage to enable their full potential and that of others, it becomes a challenge to trust their judgment, decisions, awareness and capabilities.

2.  Having a Hidden Agendas
Leaders today are often viewed as devious and manipulating. Employees want to follow leaders who live by a set of value and continually strive to reach team and organization goals.   To avoid the impression of shadiness, leaders must state their motives plainly, explain rationale behind decisions, and clarify purpose.

3. Being Self-Centered
Employee catch on to leaders self-serving intentions. When a leader is only looking out for him- or herself employee expect the worst of them.  Employees then start to look out for themselves.  That  means they might resist cross training and mentoring, and refrain from sharing ideas and solutions.
Great leaders are great coaches and are always looking to help their employees grow and prosper.  

4. Damaging a Reputation

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When people begin to speak negatively about their leader, it makes it more difficult for others to trust their intentions and vision. We've seen in presidential races, that candidate have a high approval rating during elections.  However, once in office, when it's time to show what they are really about, approval rating often drop drastically. Every leader must be aware that he/she is constantly being evaluated and thus they can never grow complacent.  Sharpen the saw, continue to produce. 

 

5. Showing Inconsistent Performance
People are more inclined to trust those who are consistent.  A leaders credibility is not only built on their character but their track record of results as well.  Employees gain trust in a leader as they see consistent performance.  Leaders who are consistent with their behavior and performance are those who can be trusted. This is why leaders need to refresh their leadership style, skills, and competencies regularly. 

6.  Avoiding Hands-On Work
Delegation is fine when don't appropriately and with a purpose.  Leaders should not dump unwanted task on others just to avoid work.  Employees expect leaders to be willing to get their hands dirty.  Leaders should be engaged in the work and daily operations.   When everyone has to work late, the leader is not exception.  When others take a pay cut, the leader is the first to be affected.

7. Lacking Purpose
Leaders must understand that they goal is to help others succeed.   I heard a comedian say that he used to think it was his job to make people laugh then he realized it's his job to give people an opportunity to laugh.  It took a while for me to understand this, but essentially he was saying his role is not to force anything or anyone.  Leader should be a conduit; a catalyst; and at the core -  a servant. 

Mandela once said it's not the fact that you lived that matters, it the difference you made while you lived that does. 
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”  -- Nelson Mandela