Leadership: Ask Me Anything

"Leading is not the same as being the leader. Being the leader means you hold the highest rank, either by earning it, good fortune or navigating internal politics. Leading, however, means that others willingly follow you—not because they have to, not because they are paid to, but because they want to." -Simon Sinek in Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

I've been trying to figure out how to run a lesson or discussion on leadership. It's so so important a skill for us to learn. Especially Knights, but it's useful in many places of our lives as parents, siblings, friends, coworkers, anything. I find it so vital that the only non-fiction book I sent to the California Jedi Gathering is a book on leadership.

I realized that although I have a lot of experience in leadership, I've not done a lot of official study so I can't put together a discussion without a great deal of time I don't really have right now.

So here's the deal. Here's an Ask Me Anything on leadership! Anyone is welcome to answer but I will be sure to hit every question asked. Anything you've wanted to know about my experiences or learning on the subject. An organic conversation for one who learned a skill in the same manner

Quoted from The Council... thread

Connor L. wrote:

Kit wrote: This is what I look for in leaders. The Council here should absolutely be leaders

1. Communication. A leader must listen when someone comes to them with problems. Not just hear them but LISTEN. Listen without judgement, and only with a mind of 'how can I help". Sometimes the answer is no, but as long as I've been sincerely listened to, I'm still ok. I need that leader to also communicate with me. I need to know what it is she wants me to do. What my role is, what's expected of me. If this isn't done, I'll do the best I can but it may not be what was in that manager's mind. Communication is a two-way street. The fastest way for me to lose respect for a leader is when they again and again prove they do not listen. I don't need the leadership to tell me everything. There are things we don't need to know. Like I don't need to know Guest A is threatening to throttle Guest B with a rubber chicken. But it was insanely frustrating for me to hear nothing for months after going up for my Knighthood. Not even a "Hey, we're still working on it, something came up" would have been wonderful. And I know I'm not the only one with that complaint.

Speak clearly. Mean what you say. Ambiguous messages do no one any good. Can I say that again? Send clear messages. You may post something 1,000 words long, but if it holds no meaning, or is ambiguous, your point is lost (if you had one)

2. Courtesy and Respect. This also goes two ways. I'm asking for the basic respect of a human being. If a leader treats me like mud, I'll have no respect for them because I know they do not value me. I have been around long enough to show my mettle, even though it's changed from time to time. Take it as you will. But until I start flinging around a lava whip, I would expect some basic courtesy. Leaders can't lead without the respect of their followers.

3. Availability. That "Open Door" policy. On the forum, that means being involved in day-to-day discussions in a meaningful way. That's not to say you have to be a Jedi Guru at all times. Being Jedi Goofy is just fine too. Let people get to know you.

4. Trust. Everything prior to this builds trust. With trust you end up with much less drama

Leaders are, first and foremost, servants of those they lead.

If a person has fulfilled these requirements and has shown themselves to be a leader, I'll follow them to the depths of hell on a simple command: "Let's go"

I'm quoting this whole thing again. Everybody should read this three times at least. Thank you, Kit. If I'm ever in another leadership position, this is the kind of leader I want to be.

So I quoted this for a few reasons. I wanted to reply but didn't want to take the other thread off topic, and it's a good starting point for this conversation.

You're welcome Connor. I'm happy you found it useful. I wanted to touch on this part here:

If I'm ever in another leadership position, this is the kind of leader I want to be.

Please don't take this as I'm implying you're not doing this but it got me thinking This is for everyone!

Don't wait until you're in a leadership position to try these. Fun thing is, you're in a position to be a leader already. If you're a parent, sibling, coworker, friend, or interact with people at all, you have the opportunity to not only practice your leadership skills, but become a leader. The more you practice now, the better you'll be when you get into a position of leadership. And the better you become, the more likely you'll be put into a leadership position if that is your goal.

Yeah, I try to do these things now, too. I just meant that if I find myself in a leadership position, then I will make these qualities a priority as part of the job I would do. Hope that makes sense.

Connor L. wrote: Yeah, I try to do these things now, too. I just meant that if I find myself in a leadership position, then I will make these qualities a priority as part of the job I would do. Hope that makes sense.

Absolutely! I sure wish we could do this all the time but damn this real life and priorities thing

One of my favorite quotes about leadership came from a Civil War soldier describing the leadership style of Irish Rebel and Union General Thomas Meagher. The soldier said "from our General you would never hear the words 'go boys, go' but instead 'come boys, follow me'.

While it is possible to lead from behind or share the lunch table with those who follow you, when the crap really hits the fan, we often look to the leader who leads the charge and takes the same personal risks asked of their followers. In short, many great leaders are great because they demonstrate their willingness to get their hands dirty.

Kit,

Do you see direct leadership as different from organizational leadership?

I hope it is no problem that I post this here.. One of the most amazing articles I have ever read about leadership. A lovely article for anyone who likes to read it or has been in a moderator position. After the introduction the value of the article becomes visible. Enjoy..

https://www.sitepoint.com/guide-life-parts-1-2/

Reacher wrote: Kit,

Do you see direct leadership as different from organizational leadership?

What these mean to me is direct leadership is the act of being a leader, and organizational leadership are those people who are in positions of power. I'm not sure if this is what you mean. I'll go on this thought still but if you mean something different let me know!!

Organizational Leadership are people who are in charge. Managers, supervisors, parents, that sort of crew. The title that gives them the power to make decisions over others. For this kind of leadership to be workable, they need to be at least good managers. In order for the organization to excel, they need to be leaders.

Direct leadership could be your immediate supervisor too. But if we're going with the direct leadership with actually being a leader, I'd point to this post I quoted https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/open-discussions/119042-leadership-ask-me-anything#295780

Where is the line between leading from the front and leading from the back (delegation)? How much balance should we have on that line?

Do you think training of a leaders subordinates is part of the leadership duty, or better handled by a trainer.... and if so how would you define the relationship between the trainer training and the leadership leading (in regards to clarity for the subordinate and utility for the leader)?

I often get those lines blurred in my head, as unless the leader is a teacher then teaching as a standalone effort can fall outside of the function of that leader and their team's purpose. Assumptions being subordinates should be trained ideally up to the point where they can stand in as leader if needed and eventually replace them.