A Leadership thought

"Jack/Jill/They of all trades, master/mistress/they of many"

A good Leader needs to be dexterous being able to adapt and change to varying situations, tasks and people.  This ability to change and adapt, I call being "a Jack/Jill of all trades, master/mistress of many."

Quite simply as a Leader it's not sufficient enough to your followers, for you to be able to put your mind, or your hands, to one specific 'thang'; your specialism or your predominant style or behaviour.

A good Leader MUST be able to demonstrate clearly that they know a 'thang' or two, that they are able to flex and move, adapting to what is needed to ensure success at that point.  They must show that they are capable of demonstrating a varied set of behaviours, of delivering a varied set of tasks or activities, and reacting to a varied set of situations.

To not be able to do so leaves the Leader in a situation where respect is limited to the limit of their behaviours, skills and knowledge. 

Without respect or with only limited respect, Leaders could fall foul of their followers who will only see them in one light.  A myopic way-of-being sets in for the Leader and followers see little variety, motivation or hope for themselves as their Leader becomes stuck, immovable and linear; changeless in a changing world.

So as a Leader by being 'a Jack/Jill of all trades and a master/mistress of many' you keep your followers on their toes, you constantly surprise and delight them, and you 'touch' far more people than before, motivating them to want to be around you, work for you and to be a little bit like you.

So, how to be this 'Jack/Jill of all trades, master/mistress of many'?

1/  Ensure you never stop learning  which means............

2/  You never stop listening.........................

3/ Listening to your people; their needs, wants and desires - who they are and what interests and drives them.

4/ Listening to the industry you are in and the world that surrounds you................

5/ Listening to the wider World out there and what's happening and what's happening next

6/ Watching others and how they do things and then do it yourself

7/  Draw upon all your skills; ones you use at home, in the garden, skills you had that you haven't used for a long time, skills you thought you could only use on the sports field....

8/ Find ways to use them in the work place

9/ Try things out and not be shy or ashamed of failing; failure if admitted is a strength

10/ Use yesterday to inform today, and today and yesterday to inform tomorrow

11/ Get in the thick of it - stop sitting on the fence or standing to one side and make a commitment

Bring all of this to your Leadership way-of-being and you have an excellent chance of growing to become that great Leader you want to be.