Count yourself as blessed if you have ever been led by a strong leader. You may or may not have liked that person at that time. Inevitably, you will look back and see how much you’ve grown as a direct result of that person’s leadership.
On the contrary, one of the worst things in the world is an apathetic leader. One with no conviction. One who consistently accepts mediocrity, then blames the team for their lack of drive. Strong leaders are not afraid to stand up for their convictions, and the company’s values.
Strong leaders accept the daily responsibility of ensuring that all team members are ready for their shifts. They know each team member well and they notice when an exceptional employee is not being "exceptional."
Strong leaders call out indifference. As convenient as it may be to ignore apathy on the team, they confront it and remind everyone of their justifiably high standards. The standards are high because they genuinely believe in each person on the team. Their stance is clear - "You are on my team because I believe in you, and I know that you can be phenomenal."
To all the strong leaders reading this, please don’t ever stop marching forward. Always be encouraging. Don’t compromise. Never stop learning. And expect everyone on your team to succeed.
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