Rethinking leadership in a new dispensation

The coexistence of humans is anchored on effective leadership. As such, leadership is fundamental to building a functional society and organisation. Every nation and organisation mirrors the kind of leadership it operates, however, if the leadership lacks vision, clear direction, and a strategic plan, it translates to haphazard behaviour by those being led.

John Maxwell, one of the world’s most influential business leaders, puts it this way: “Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.”

With the economic impact of the coronavirus  pandemic, which will linger for a while, leaders would have to rethink innovative ways of influencing the people and prepare them for adaptation or recovery. As several people continue to deal with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, during this period, leaders would need to inspire and reorganise their teams for a better future.

Inspiring a team would require that a leader helps to foster professional growth and development for it to flourish in the face of current challenges. At the heart of giving inspiration is creating an opportunity to mentor the followers.

Recognising the importance of mentoring and how it helps leaders build an inclusive organisation and society while offering guidance and growth to the followers, mentoring has proven to be vital, especially in scaling for growth, as well as the delegation of duties, and failing forward.

Investing in mentoring and being mentored is an extremely valuable decision as a leader. As we continue to transition into a new era, both economically and politically, self-improvement is imperative for the growth of an organisation. Leaders do not start at the top, but with the right mentors, they would gradually work their way to the top while making an impact.

Being in a leadership position, a leader needs to seek out and maximise the capabilities of others who know more than they do. Leaders are humans with emotions who do not possess the ability to be ubiquitous, hence, they cannot know it all—but must depend on others who know more than they do in other areas. Being able to trust in the abilities of others while delegating responsibilities shows a sign of effectiveness on the part of a leader.

To improve and activate the outcome of others, it is necessary to delegate, as an effective leader. Establishing a team structure will also enable leaders to extend their authority through the actions of others. For organisations to succeed, it is pertinent for leaders to empower and build the capacity of others while leveraging on their collaborations for development because leaders cannot do it alone.

Furthermore, in leading an organisation, leaders must be prepared for setbacks and failures. A leader may tick all the boxes and make the best decisions, yet, things could easily turn out differently. Hence there is a need to be psychologically prepared as a leader. Amid any setback, the leader’s responsibility is to their followers, to be honest, inspire confidence, keep them safe, and lead them out into a brighter future, while keeping the organisational goal(s) in focus.

Over the years, I have learned that it is okay to fail. However, it is important to allow the learnings to set you on a path to success. As a leader, failure is inevitable, but I have learned to fail forward in my career. The key is to highlight the experience of failure and continue on the learning trajectory of becoming a better leader.

In the face of the current socio-economic and political quagmire in Nigeria, leaders in both public and private sectors must be extremely intentional about creating unique and sustainable solutions, as well as opportunities to recalibrate their team, parastatal’s, and company’s operating model in a new dispensation. Also, leaders should show empathy and communicate effectively with followers to enhance productivity.

Oluwatosin Ojebisi resides in Lagos and can be reached [email protected]