Leadership Contradictions

"in the past 18 months, we have heard that profit is more important than revenue, quality is more important that profit, people are more important than profit, customers are more important than our people, big customers are more important than small customers, and that growth is the key to our success. No wonder our performance is inconsistent"

The number one Leadership Challenge is that leadership itself is full of contradictions. However, a great leader is someone who can accept and use both sides of the contradictions at the same time.

The contradictions become even more and more ridiculous when a person rises in the leadership hierarchy. The following are some leadership contradictions that will pose difficult leadership challenges to all leaders:

• Decisive
  Accept uncertainties. Decide on what you need to decide and get on with it.
  
  BUT…. Not Decisive
  Think Gray (not black, not white), Delegate the decision-making, Put off to tomorrow - Timing of decision is as important as decision
  
  
• Dependent
  A leader must learn to trust and depend on their people
  
  BUT… Independent
  Ability to simultaneously view things from two or more perspectives
  
  
• Get advise from Experts
  
  BUT… Be careful of Experts
  Never take experts too seriously & Never trust experts completely
  
  
• Take recognition
  For losses
  
  BUT… Don't take recognition
  For victories
  
  
  
• Focus on present
  Reality, Results, Systems, and Processes
  
  BUT… focus on future
  Strategic foresight & Vision
  
  
  
• Skills are important
  
  BUT… Skills are not important
  Especially in human relation matters
  
  
  
• Its not what you say, its what u do that's important
  
  But… its not what you do, its what u say that's important
  
  
  
• You are in control (resources, processes, systems)
  
  But… You are NOT in control (people)
  
  
• Need ego (confidence)
  
  but… cannot have ego (pride, inflexibility)
  
  
• Decision based on feelings
  
  But… Decision CANNOT be based on feelings
  
  
  
• Leadership is the goal (influence, credibility, trust)
  
  But… leadership is NOT the goal (achievement, next level leadership, improved lives)
  
  
  
• Continue changing
  
  BUT… Consistent (values)
  
  
  
• Big view (business, community, lives)
  
  But… Small view (individual lives)
  
  
  
• Leadership is all about Inward (mind)
  
  BUT… leadership is all about outward (measure of success)
  
  
  
• Mature (thinking, actions)
  
  BUT… child-like (explore, why?, ideas)
  

Who said being a Leader is easy?

-TURD-