LEAD-VANTAGE SERIES >> THE NEXT GENERATION LEADER by Andy Stanley

The more you know about leadership, the faster you grow as a leader and the farther you are able to go as a leader. This simple truth inspired Andy Stanley to write THE NEXT GENERATION LEADER.

Having been exposed to leadership quite early, privileged to lead a faith-based organization comprising tens of thousands of young people, and drawing on two decades of experience mentoring a rising generation, Andy has now identified five essential attributes of leaders who will shape the future: Competence, Courage, Clarity, Coaching and Character.

You might think you already know what these are and how they contribute to leadership until you start to read his book. Here are some of his thoughts on Leadership and Competence:

It is both natural and necessary for leaders to try to prove themselves by doing everything themselves. It is natural because, as a leader, you want to set the pace even as you demonstrate that nothing is beneath you. It is necessary because most of the time nobody is around to help. But what may initially be natural and necessary will ultimately limit your effectiveness.

Perhaps, the two best-kept secrets of leadership are these:

1. The less you do, the more you accomplish
2. The less you do, the more you enable others to accomplish

The moment a leader steps away from his core competencies, his effectiveness as a leader diminishes. Worse, the effectiveness of every other leader in the organization suffers too. In time, a leader who is not leading from the right “zone” will create an unfavourable environment for other leaders.

After challenging hundreds of leaders to play to their strengths, I have identified five primary obstacles to a leader adopting this way of thinking:

1. The Quest for Balance – The idea of being a well-rounded leader looks good on paper and sounds compelling coming from behind a lectern, but in reality, it is an unworthy endeavour. Read the biographies of the achievers in any arena of life. You will find over and over that these were not “well-rounded” leaders. They were men and women of focus. We should strive for balance organizationally, but it is not realistic to strive for balance within the sphere of our personal leadership abilities. Striving for balance forces a leader to invest time and energy in aspects of leadership where he will never excel.

2. Failure to distinguish between AUTHORITY and COMPETENCE – Every leader has authority over arenas in which he has little or no competence. When we exert our authority in an area where we lack competence, we can derail projects and demotivate those who have the skills we lack. There is no need to become an expert in, or even to understand, every component of your organization. To put it bluntly, there are things you are responsible for that you should keep your nose out of.

3. Inability to distinguish between COMPETENCIES AND NON-COMPETENCIES – Leaders who are successful in one arena often assume competency in arenas where, in fact, they have none. As a result, they miss opportunities to leverage their strengths. Success is an intoxicant, and intoxicated people seldom have a firm grasp on reality. Successful leaders tend to assume that their core competencies are broader than they are.

Worse, the more successful an individual is, the less likely it is that anyone will bring this unpleasant fact to his attention. Consequently, a leader considered an expert in one area is often treated as an expert in others as well. Leaders who are not in touch with their own weaknesses feel that they are as good as anybody else in their organization at anything that pertains to leadership. Many have even bought into the false notion that great leaders have no weaknesses. However, in general, an inability to own up to personal shortcomings is often rooted in some sort of insecurity. This can be easy to see in others but next to impossible to see in ourselves. It takes a certain amount of personal security to admit weakness.

4. Guilt – Some leaders don’t play only to their strengths because they feel guilty delegating their weaknesses. This is where I struggle. I assume that everybody hates to do the things that I hate to do. For years I felt guilty delegating responsibilities that I really didn’t want to get involved with in the first place. It took me a while to realize that the leaders around me were energized by the very things that drained the life out of me. Remember, everybody in your organization benefits when you delegate responsibilities that fall outside your core competency. Thoughtful delegation will allow someone else in your organization to shine. Your weakness is someone’s opportunity.

5. Unwillingness to develop other Leaders – Sometimes, it is easier and less time-consuming to do things yourself that to train someone else. But leadership is not always about getting things done “right.” Leadership is about getting things done through other people. Leaders miss opportunities to play to their strengths because they haven’t figured out that great leaders work through other leaders, who work through others. Leadership is about multiplying your efforts, which automatically multiplies your results.

So, as a leader, you want to discover your core competencies? Here are a few questions to help you do so:

1. What do you that is almost effortless from your perspective but seems like a daunting task to others?
2. In what arenas do people consider you the “go-to” person?
3. What do you enjoy about your current job?
4. What do you wish you could delegate?
5. What do you do that elicits the most praise and recognition from others?
6. What environments do you look forward to working in?
7. What environments do you avoid?
8. What kind of advice do people seek from you?
9. If you could focus more of your time and attention on one or two aspects of your job, what would they be?

Apart from discovering and playing to your strengths, here are other lessons that Andy Stanley teaches in THE NEXT GENERATION LEADER:

• How to harness your Fears
• How to leverage Uncertainty
• How to enlist a Leadership Coach
• How to maintain Moral Authority

Use these lessons to your advantage and turbocharge your leadership drive!

To your success,

Bright Ukwenga
The Chief Scribe