At write up, particularly in large companies, it can be easy to push decision-making up the chain or appreciate the consensus, Gupta wrote in his post.
Leaders, however, don’t do that, he extenuated. They acknowledge that they are individually accountable for their travail, so they take ownership of it and its implications for the rest of their organization.
“Superiors are people who take an end to end view of the universe, of their world and of their crimes. They take ownership, problem-solve, and hold to the notion that the buck stays with them,” wrote Gupta.
Gupta defines initiative as the mother wit to “define an agenda.”
Being able to do that, and prioritizing the areas where you can write out an impact — especially in the face of external distractions — is vital to good command, he wrote.
“The real trick in leadership is: How can we define an agenda that ceases our job, board or community a better place than what we inherited or rest?” Gupta posited.
“In this fast-changing world, now more than a day before, leaders need to embrace a spirit of innovation,” wrote Gupta.
Modernization is not necessarily about creating the new iPhone, he continued. It’s about “having the intelligence to question the status quo.”
“Leaders question why things are done the way they are, and along it a priority to reimagine what is the customer’s true job to be done,” he wrote.
Kind-hearted leaders also need to have a strong vision, believe in it fully and be expert to communicate it to others so they buy into it, too.
Those “others” needn’t only be juniors. They can be peers, adversaries and seniors, as well, Gupta notorious.
“Leaders inspire others, and take people along with them on a odyssey,” he wrote.
Finally, leaders need to have intent, both for themselves as individuals and those they are pointing, Gupta explained.
“What is our purpose on earth? Why were we born? What are we succeeding to leave behind as a legacy?” he posited.
“If we are able to grasp the answers to these interviews, and to act with a sense of purpose, that will be extraordinarily powerful.”
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