“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.”
–Bill Gates
Bill Gates is known for his technical skills and know-how. But he also knows a few things about leadership. After all, he didn’t take Microsoft from a little business headquartered in a small garage, to a multi-billion-dollar enterprise on the back of his technical skills alone.
For 20+ years after Microsoft’s inception, Gates set its long-term business strategy, helped establish its culture, and guided its strategic direction. And then in 2008, he stepped down from his day-to-day role, but only after ensuring that other competent leaders would be able to take his place. In all his decisions, Gates displayed exemplary leadership to take Microsoft to a successful position, and ultimately leave a wonderful legacy, both for the company and himself.
Like every smart leader, Gates knows that he cannot successfully run his company alone. Microsoft needs competent staff and managers to take care of day-to-day work, and ensure that there are no costly interruptions or mistakes. Equally important, it needs leaders to coach and mentor the staff and managers and inspire them to work towards a greater good.
Keeping this in mind, Gates’ words about leaders empowering others make perfect sense, don’t they?
In any company, strong leaders play a crucial role in human resource development. They ensure that the right people are in the right roles. They also mentor and guide people, instill trust through active listening, and focus on building mutually beneficial relationships.
They Cultivate “Circles of Influence”
An oft-quoted article from Harvard Business Review explains some of the differences between managers and leaders. According to the writer, managers count value rather than adding to it. In contrast, leadership is all about creating value through action, leading by example, and like Gates said, leading by enabling and empowering people.
Managers have subordinates, and they tell these subordinates what to do, when, and how by taking advantage of their “circles of power”. Leaders don’t believe in subordinates. Rather, they cultivate followers by creating “circles of influence”. Through these circles, they motivate people to work towards the organization’s common goals.
Leaders also inspire people to continuously learn and improve their skills. This is how they help develop a great workforce that looks beyond day-to-day “business as usual” to visionary goals that can prepare the company for future challenges and opportunities.
They Encourage Self-improvement
The best leaders don’t tell their people what to do. Instead, they encourage them to find their own way – even if this way is littered with mistakes or delays, or requires lots of experimentation.
Moreover, genuine leaders don’t just talk the talk. They also walk the walk. They believe that self-discipline is the key to improvement and growth. They develop this quality in themselves, and also encourage others to do the same. As they help others to set goals and mentor them to achieve them, they also make an effort to control and motivate themselves.
Through self-discipline and focus, leaders develop commitment, consistency, and patience in both their personal and professional lives. They don’t get bogged down by temporary setbacks. Rather, they look at each setback as an opportunity for further improvement. And since they lead by example, they make it possible for the company to develop a workforce that’s also committed, consistent, learning-oriented, and always focused on the bigger picture.
They Help Others Achieve their Full Potential
True leadership is unselfish and focused on the greater good. In the demanding digital economy, great leaders are courageous and willing to take risks on people. They always look for the potential in their people, rather than the flaws. They also help their people achieve this potential and empower them to contribute more than what’s written in their job description.
A company with good leaders can develop people who are willing to push boundaries, and able to look for innovative ways to do things better, faster, and cheaper. These employees look up to their leaders, observe their skills and qualities, and learn from them. Their efforts enable them to develop and grow their own careers.
They also help generate immense benefits for the company in terms of a highly engaged workforce. These workers collaborate seamlessly and communicate well with each other so the firm can meet its objectives, and effectively pursue the next level of scalability and growth. None of this would be possible without leaders enabling the full potential of the workforce.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, competent managers and qualified staff are vital for every company. However, no organization would be able to survive – much less thrive – without charismatic, skilled, and influential leaders. Strong leaders help create a robust workforce and a culture of excellence. They also develop other leaders who are self-disciplined, take accountability for their actions, and help maintain the company’s growth trajectory. Without good leaders, there is no human resource – period.
