You have forgotten—

June 24, 2018 by Banchiwosen Woldeyesus

• As person who people look up to, when you see fear, anxiety or nervousness in your team and

You pass judgment on them,

                                You have forgotten,

                               When trust is lost, leadership follows it blindly out the window.

• When you don’t let other people talk themselves out and you don’t listen as if you have drawn a dark veil over your ears,

                             You have forgotten,

                             Someone has listened to you for you to reach where you are now with an open      mind and was sincere about it.

Or do you think you know everything there is to know?

• Do you see yourself above everyone else and wear your leadership like a shield of armor?

– Is that why, you don’t show the slightest bit interest in your assistants, receptionists or messengers?

– If one of your team members asked for a time-out because his child is ill and    you have not spared a moment to ask how he is or how you can help. Then:

                           You have forgotten,

                         To be human and you are carrying on the ugliest souls.

• As a leader, if you are not sharing the glory by building confidence in your team and accepting the blame,

                        You have forgotten,

                        You were not once as confident as you are now and someone has colored your whole  outlook on life and drove you to where you are now.

• If you remain aloof and everyone gets a confrontational, non-friendly approach from you,

                        Then who is to deliver the latest wisdom to the team?

– If you have not cultivated a learning environment around you,

                        You have forgotten,

                      Being involved and staying involved is a key to a meaningful and fruitful leadership.

• If you have stopped being a mentor to your team or never been one,

Then you have lost your way in leadership.

– If you are not so tuned into your team,

                         You have forgotten,

                         Someone who was talented and self-confident once has mentored you. And more  importantly he has willed to teach you and pick you among the common ground.

• If you do not respect the dignity of others and you expect trusting relationships,

You are foolish.

– If you do not say small things like ‘good morning’ and ‘how are you?’

                        You have forgotten,

                        Someone has respected and treated you as an individual and not as a number in your life.

– If you demand respect by ordering people around,

                          You have forgotten,

                          Somebody has believed in you and saw you as his equal and you are not there because of intimidation.

• Have you stopped praising the slightest improvement? If so:

                       You have forgotten,

                       Someone at some point has praised you in something that has given you enough push to go forward.

                    So, why is praise a foreign emotion to you?

• Do you expect perfection in your team? Then:

                     You have forgotten,

                     Everybody makes mistakes and you have made them yourself. In fact, you hate it when someone points out one of yours.

– If you are expecting your team to learn and grow without making mistakes then:

You have forgotten,

                  Someone has seen an important part of your potential in the mistakes that you have made.

• Do you talk or share ideas equally with your team members? or do you share ideas only with your superiors?

– If so, were you ever inspired by such a person?

– Did you ever want to model that individual?

Then, why do you expect your team to follow your example when you are not worth following?

May be:

You have forgotten,

                   Your attitude shapes your personality and you get back what you give out to your team.

• What do you project outside? What exudes out of you?

                      Do you sense the energy humming with your team as you pass by?

If not, then you are not a man who truly loves his job.

– If you have chosen to add yourself into the category of hundreds of things that can irritate, worry or annoy anybody, then:

You have forgotten,

                   The power you hold in your head and someone once has left a positive print in you through their infectious attitude.

                   So, why don’t you be outrageously inspiring to others?