A Leader should seek silence and isolation once in a while

Do you agree that a leader should once in a while seek silence and isolation?

A leader most of his working hours is always with his people, he guides, gives direction, motivates, leads by example, talks and consults and so on. With these manifold functions it may seem that he has no more time to think about the welfare of his people and the organization that he holds.    

A good and effective leader should seek silence and isolation once in a while even for a brief period of time everyday. This may seem odd but a good leader should find time to be alone everyday preferably early in the morning. For what reason? For the reason that it is during this short periods of isolation that he is able to effectively think how to plan the future of his organization and the people that he leads.

 By nature we humans can concentrate and effectively think when we are alone with nobody disturbing us. Take for example a painter, a painter cannot effectively create his obra if there are people around him. He needs silence and isolation so that he could bring to reality what is in his mind. This is always the scenario for a painter: he needs silence and isolation to bring to a breathing reality his artistic vision.

The same is true with a good and effective leader. He should once in a while seek silence and isolation. So that he could develop an effective master plan for his organization.  Within these periods of silence and isolation the leader thinks about strategies and methods of leadership that would be effective for his organization.

Thus, great and successful leaders even for a brief period of time are loners too. They need silence and isolation because it’s within this span of time where they grind their minds to come-up with effective organizational strategies that could best help them obtain success for their organization. – Marino J. Dasmarinas 

John’s unorthodox style of leadership by example

What is leadership by example? It’s walking and doing your talk, it’s pushing your people to do the job on hand with you in-front leading them. It’s the willingness to lead your subordinates no matter the risk involved.

 Therefore, successful leaders are those who lead by example and not those who lead by remote control. When you lead by example you inspire your subordinates to follow you. You are like a magnet magnetizing your subordinates to be close to you. Why? This is for the simple reason that you as a leader serves as a living example and inspiration to your people.

John is a newly hired Chief Executive Officer, he was primarily hired for his reputation of leadership by example. During his first day at work he noticed that the comfort room of their office was dirty. So he asked the janitor where is the detergent powder and the scrubbing brush.

After John was told where the cleanser and brush were kept. He rolled-up his sleeves picked-up the instruments for cleaning and went directly to the comfort room to clean it. The highest person in the organizational hierarchy was doing the lowest form of work in the organization!

Many of us may laugh at his style of leadership by example. But it’s his unorthodox approach of sending a message to the people of his new organization that he means business. And he is very much willing to tackle even the lowest job to bring his new organization to the promised land of profitability and prominence. 

In his succeeding days at work John was always the first to report for work and the last to leave. Except for the authorized work break he was always focused in his work as the captain of his organization. He shunned Facebook at work!

His work ethic rubbed off to every person in his organization. The workers who were lazy and lacking in initiative were now hardworking and always willing to learn. The organization on the brink of closing was now enjoying profitability and prominence in its industry of business. 

The workers who would sneak to do facebook never did facebook at work anymore.  And the comfort room? The once upon a time dirty comfort room was always spick and span. Behaviors, attitudes and the culture of incompetence were transformed because of John’s unorthodox style of leadership by example.

What is your unorthodox style of leadership by example?  – Marino J. Dasmarinas