This is a continuation from part two of the blog post series on leading the leader in me to lead others. This is the study of a book written by John C. Maxwell, a renowned author of transformational leadership material. His work has transformed many at individual, organizational and at national levels. Having read the book, “The 360 Degree Leader” this is an analysis of what it is about. This synopsis emphasizes the thrust of the book, with relevant examples of how I have tried to implement my take home from it. I clearly show how I have been impacted by reading this book and state some ways in which my life is changing, hence forth. I also show how I am going to teach these ideas to the people I influence, as I continue on my journey to a level 5 leader. In this blog I focus on a guide to 360 degree leadership.
The Guide to 360 Degree Leadership: (Leading up, Leading across and leading down)
The 360 degree leader should be able to lead up, across and down and the Author provides principles to guide them on how to lead in all these directions. I use my experience to explain the principles leading in each of the directions.
In order to lead up, I decided to lighten up my boss’s load. He is the HOD of my department and has a lot on his plate. I went ahead to ask my HOD how I could support him. It was the right moment for me to ask because he needed help. One of my colleagues, who was the field attachment coordinator for our department has just left for his PhD, and left the role vacant. It is a position that nobody wants to take on, because the coordinator had already been paid, and there wouldn’t be any payment for the person who takes over. I took on the responsibility and my HOD was blessed and extremely thankful. I felt blessed and even more energized to support him.
I also decided to purposefully avoid office politics by not commenting on any gossip in the chatrooms. There were times I would ask questions like, “are you sure about this?” and then end up being sucked into the conversation. I chose not to get involved anymore. I felt like by doing this, I support a peaceful working environment for everyone. I continue to feel good about my decision.
In order to lead down, I decided to look at my maid as a 10. Instead of seeking for and emphasizing her weaknesses, I decided to make sure I lookout for the things she does right and applaud her. I made sure to reward her for the good work and I noticed that she was happier, and more energetic. The environment was better.
I intend to pick a few more principles that I can implement in all the directions, so that I can master them. Moreover, I plan to use my experience to teach the women I mentor, my children and my colleagues about how to get better in their daily lives.
In conclusion, this book has allowed me to see myself in a different light. I now understand that no matter where I am, or whom I work for, or what position I hold, I can influence upwards, across and downwards. Different principles can be adopted to thrive in leading in all the directions.
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