Nine Rules of Leadership
In honor of two colleagues and friends who recently took on significant roles beyond the boundaries of my library, I am sharing some lessons about leadership I have learned over the years. However, these are mainly observational.
A truly great leader leads by example; sometimes a full calendar requires you to delegate tasks, but in most every case, even the menial tasks—especially these—should never be avoided just because of your title. Also, physical work gets you out of your office and out of your own head.
Get to know the people who work for you and learn to foster their strengths. This can build loyalty and respect over time. Even the most outlandish, the most anti-authority, the most difficult to like person has a skill that can, if they are treated with respect, be of incredible benefit to the organization.
Listen to your employees carefully but give the closest ear to those that don't fear to dissent. Often the most antagonistic viewpoint to the main ideology of an organization is one you will find it invaluable to be familiar with. Also, hearing the dissenting point of view will keep you honest and accountable. They often see the hypocrisy of leadership—imperative for anyone in power to understand.
Humility is essential for any leadership role. Your job is the facilitation of the success and survival of your business, not your ego. Don't let the power of your role go to your head. You are as replaceable as any other employee. The higher your office, the further the walk to the doors.
Maintain a professional relationship with your employees, but don't fraternize with any subordinates outside work: it is okay to be work friends—immense value may be gained by a close working relationship; life happens and you will become a comfort and a comrade over time—but when you have to discipline or fire someone, it helps if you're not going to see them at drinks on Friday.
A cultural problem in your organization must be dealt with rapidly and decisively. Disciplinary problems that aren't dealt with turn an organization toxic. This is why they say "the fish rots from the head". It may cause paperwork, but that's no excuse not to act when necessary.
As General Sun Tzu says, hide a sword in your smile: be friendly, accessible, visible, generous, likable, even gregarious but do not be a pushover. Just because you are a nice person doesn't mean that you aren't a considerable adversary. You're nobody's fool. You cannot afford to be.
Fear profits a leader nothing. Fearfulness multiplies problems exponentially. Doubt may foster a different point of view with time, but fear will eat a hole in your leadership. It's fine to not be sure how to handle a situation at first, but fear paralyzes great leaders and renders them useless.
Finally, work to create a mentality within your organization that if you were to become deeply ill and unable to lead, any member of your staff can know precisely how best to handle any given situation in your absence as you would handle it. Each of your employees is a leader in their own right, despite the org chart, and a good leader fosters this reality among their staff and empowers them to be confident and smart.
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