Leadership; Doing What Others Won't

Dear Leader,

I trust this meets you in pursuit of wisdom.

One of the things I have learnt working with leaders above me is that leaders want to work with individuals who are willing to do what others won’t.

People like working with people with a “whatever it takes” attitude. This therefore is what we must strive to cultivate.

You must be willing and able to think outside of your job description, tackle the kind of tasks and jobs that others are either too proud or too frightened to take on.

These are the things that elevate leaders above their peers.

What does this mean for you in specifics? Here are my thoughts:

1. Be the one who raises his/her hands up for the tough jobs. The ability to complete difficult tasks earns people respect very quickly. In one of my previous letters, I told you that problem solving is the quickest way to gain leadership, and of course, there are problems everywhere. People don’t like problems and they will do almost anything to get away from problems. That is an opportunity for you to grab leadership into your hands If you are willing and able to tackle other people’s problems or train them to solve their problems.
   
   Handling the tough problems in your organisation earns you respect faster and helps you become a better leader because there is so much you get to learn during tough assignments. It is the tough task that teaches you the most and gets you out of your comfort zone. Embrace them!
   
   Be the guy or the lady they remember when the organisation needs to solve tough problems.
   

2. Work behind the scene. Whether you like it or not, the leaders above you will get most of the glory. Understand this and don’t try to compete for their glory. Most times as leaders who are not at the top, we are rarely seen and you need to be comfortable with working behind the scenes. This is one thing I have had to learn.
   
   Give your best even in obscurity. This requires you to kill your ego. You will work hard for your leaders who takes all the glory. Learning to work hard in obscurity is a test of personal integrity, working hard even when no one sees you.
   
   The key point here is that you should be willing to do something because it matters to the organisation and not because you will get noticed.
   It’s okay if you get noticed, it is also very okay if you don’t get noticed. The goal is not to get noticed. It’s to add value consistently.
   

3. Perform tasks that are not your Job. Nothing frustrates leaders than working with someone who refuses to do a task because it is not their job in the organisation.
   
   I know people who have lost their job because they refused to do a job that is not their job. That is not leadership thinking.
   
   I sat in a training where my boss was facilitating in September 2024 and he said something that struck me. He said “the entirety of your Job Description is to make your boss successful”.
   
   Leaders above you will delegate tasks to you. As a leader, there is no such thing as it is not part of my job description. The goal is more important than your role.
   
   Your goal as a leader is to get the job done, to help your leader and to fulfil the vision of the organisation and its leaders.
   
   Until you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average man, you are not cut out for leadership in any organisation.

This week, don’t get carried away by the end of year hype, get the work done!

I’m rooting for you,
The Great Owete