In many corporate situations hierarchy is paramount. Some might say it’s needed for order and structure. The folks at “some” usually don’t mention fear and greed. Often hierarchy creates a cast system. You know the type; “I am the smartest guy or gal in the room because my title begins with “Senior….” Those of you with no title know this is a bunch of malarkey!
I’ve held a few senior level positions in my time, and growth has always been important. Part of growing up is learning that leadership is about responsibility, and not privilege. You may meet some senior leaders that would agree with my statement. However, don’t you wonder why their actions speak to something else? For now, we’ll leave it to the psychologists to figure out why this behavior persists. This is a big problem in Corporate America.
The following is a list of questions I’ve used to evaluate leaders…it will help you evaluate those who want to influence you:
1. What are their unique passions?
2. Can they cast vision around those passions?
3. Do they have a growth plan?
4. How much time do they dedicate to reflective/thinking time?
5. Do they have a mentor/advisor?
There may be more questions you could ask, but this list will reveal a lot about the leader’s core. You’ll want to know this before you entrust your working life to them. Don’t fall into the trap of motivation by fear and greed.