The Leadership S.E.C.R.E.T

The Leadership S.E.C.R.E.T

The Leadership S.E.C.R.E.T  

By Mark Wager 

Every year there’s approximately 1.500 books published on Leadership, in addition there’s a huge catalogue of videos you can find online all giving advice on how to become an effective Leader. There’s no doubt that Leadership is a very large and complex topic and it may seem that there’s some hidden secret of Leadership who’s is difficult to find but I’ve always believed in the quote by Albert Einstein who once said “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough” 

Leadership is complex but at its fundamental core there’s a simplicity and within that simplicity you will find the secret of Leadership, one in which the best Leaders are aware of and now you can as well

To make this leadership secret easy to remember, I've associated the key lessons to each letter of the word “secret” so you can learn in a few minutes what many leaders have spent a lifetime discovering. 

S is for Significance

People need to feel valued and have a sense that there is a reason for coming to work that's greater than money. I'm not saying that money is not important, it definitely is and is a clear indicator of how much a company values an individual but to truly motivate a successful team a leader has to go beyond money. A leader needs to establish a purpose for the team that is not only greater than the individuals but also a reason why the individuals within the team have been selected. Make people understand this and they will feel significant.

E is for Enjoyment 

The Manager of Liverpool football club is Jurgen Klopp, an experienced Manager with a reputation of being a master motivator yet when asked about his secret of motivation he replied that there was no secret, motivation is just about creating an environment that makes people feel good. Human beings are designed to avoid pain and go towards pleasure, great leaders make sure that being part of their team is not only a rewarding experience but also a pleasurable one as well. A smile is one of the valuable things you can find in an office. 

C is for Clarity

The next basic human need is the need for clarity. Human beings stopped being neanderthals   when the human brain developed the part of the brain that allows for imagination. The ability to imagine the outcome of potential events helped humans survive throughout the years and is present today. It's so powerful that if we imagine a poor outcome our body physically reacts. We feel stressed and nervous yet when we imagine a positive outcome we feel happy and excitable. As a leader make sure your team is fully aware of what's going to happen and the consequences of any action so that people know what to expect and don't imagine fears or concerns that are not there.

R is for Relationships

Most likely the most powerful human need is the need to form and develop relationships. We are at our very core pack animals, our survival depends on our ability to become part of a pack  to such a degree that there has been numerous studies that show people within teams who adopt the common behaviours of the team even if that behaviour is not something they agree with. If a team adopts certain habits then eventually everyone within that team will adopt the same habit. A leader needs to establish relationships and even friendships within a team because during my whole career I've never met a highly successful team that didn't have a close bond between them.

E is for Evolution

People by their very nature seek out opportunities to grow, learn new skills and knowledge. It's even been discovered that there's a chemical within the brain called dopamine that is released whenever you achieve something that explains the sensation you feel when you overcome a challenge. Studies within workplaces show that employees achieve their highest level of motivation during the first year of their job and with each subsequent year become less and less motivated. Leaders need to continually develop and challenge their team to grow and the team the individuals have to grow.

T is for Trust

Finally none of the above human needs mean anything to the individuals if the leader is unable to establish the need for Trust. While this is the easiest to understand it is also the most difficult to establish if lost. People want to look up to their leaders, they want to see the qualities in the leaders that they personally either take pride in possessing or strive to obtain. You can attend countless leadership workshops but if your actions do not match your words then you will always struggle to effectively lead. Start by doing what you say you are going to do and then you will build trust. Leaders know that the best way to build a team is to build trust.

About the Author

Mark Wager is a Leadership Coach with over thirty years of managerial experience across a range of industries. A former Broker Sales Manager with a London Finance House and a National Manager for the Ministry of Justice Mark specialises in working with Leaders helping them overcome the barriers, both technical and mental standing between themselves and success.

A strong believer in taking complex leadership & psychological theories and making them accessible to people regardless of their background, education or industry Mark has helped develop Leaders from some of New Zealand’s leading organisations such as Fisher & Paykel, Weta FX, Heartland Bank, NZRL, NZ Netball, NZ Soccer, NZ Basketball, Amnesty Int, Barnardos, Oxfam, Red Cross and many more.

Mark has limited availability for new clients so If you are serious about becoming more successful then contact Mark today.

Posted: Saturday 4 March 2023


Make an Enquiry