THE LEADERSHIP APPROACH THAT WINS

                             "When you touch their hearts, then you will get their hands"

Many wonder and complain about the incessant failure of businesses, projects, visions and general downward trend of output delivery in their organizations. We give excuses of lack of loyalty and poor patronage of our subordinates and customers respectively. One thing every one of us must understand is that, we are the sailors of those visions and we all operate in leadership position in one form or the other directly or indirectly. The antidote may just be a change in our leadership approach. This brings us to various leadership approaches below.
Leadership by status: The natural law gives reference and honor to status especially in this part of the world. People may listen and carry out your demand, not necessarily because they are afraid or love you, but just because you are the MD, Chairman etc. This is a psychological aura in an average subordinate and nothing more. But the day you lose that position, loyalty drops and output follows suit.
Leadership by incentives: Because an average person loves to be motivated in one form or the other especially in a society where bribery and corruption are norms, majority of leaders have built the success of their organizations on the power of incentives. The motivation element here could be money, promotion and other material items. But once these incentives are delayed or stopped, their attitudes will change, and performance will drop.
Leadership by coercion: This is more paramount in the military. Everyone obeys the superior in order to avoid the consequences of disobedience even if it will demand their lives. But the day the retirement or sacked letter is signed, then, the true loyalty will be revealed.
Leadership by influence: This is where our subordinates carry out our demands because we have affected their lives. You have made them important and part of the family without losing the profit making goal of the organization. Here the boss has been positively involved in their marriage, health and general well being. They are ready to work for you even if it is free. They will take your visions personal and everyone will be happy. Osama Bin Laden might have been perceived wicked by some quarters especially among the westerners, but he had what is called influence. Even though such an influence was tagged negative. A lot of his followers were ready to die for him. This is the best leadership style that wins.see you at the top.
Glory be to God.


Tunde Adenuga
tunde_dng@yahoo.com