he other day I was attending an interview at one of the best employer in the financial industry. I felt well groomed and best at my appearance by wearing the top class shirt and well matched jeans trouser. I met the vice president of the company who was supposed to take my interview and at first look; he did not liked the way I dressed up. He pointed out jeans are not allowed in financial industry and I apologized him. I was asked whether I wore those jeans without conscious. Moreover, my reply was that which he was not expecting. I expressed my view if I ever want to lie, I can say so, but I cannot claim myself what I wore was just unconscious.
If I ever claim I’m unconscious about my own dress, what about my clients, company and my team I’m supposed to maintain?. Can I manage them all unconsciously? My answer to self was “NO”
If I'm an unconscious manager, can I be taught to be a true leader?
Of course I can. If you are going to turn me into a true leader, you begin by making what is unconscious (my commitments and operating principles as a leader) become conscious and clear. That's step one. That process is as simple as teaching me how to use a computer program.
If you hold a leadership meeting and state very clearly why and how you intend to lead. You make everything clear. If there are other leaders in the room, even leaders whom you lead, you invite them to do the same. The more open we all are about how we intend to lead, the more motivated our people will be.
Okay, now look at those three qualities. They may be anything—honesty, openness, a total belief in you, creativity, nonjudgmental teaching style—whatever the three qualities are, look at them. More than likely, and more than nine times out of 10, these are qualities now in you as a leader. And these are the three things your people would say about you! Look at them. Is it not true? Are they not who you are?
This is a powerful exercise because it shows you how you have already internalized and already modeled yourself after the leaders you admired. However, until now, it has been subconscious. The trick is to make it conscious, and be very awake to it every day.
There is nothing so disheartening as a leader having a perceived hidden agenda, which comes from overly unconscious values at play. It discourages your people when they have to guess where you're coming from every day.
Far better to have both you and your people fully conscious of what you stand for.
A boss creates fear, a leader, confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting.
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