As a Leader who leads a team of over 100 people, I never quite believed that Leaders are born. In my organisation I have a few promising people who were hired for their competence, knowledge and attitude. They were not hired keeping in mind whether they could be future leaders. When hiring someone as part of my organisation family, there are two very clear filters that I usually look at.

Am I hiring for attitude or am I hiring for aptitude?

Every leader has his own style. Understanding and moulding that style is what owners need to focus on. Leadership can and should be moulded. Every team member is a leader in the making. They are all capable of leading their own verticals. As an Owner, I believe trust, freedom to work, direction and passion hold paramount importance.

Couple of things to consider. As a Leader, do you prefer to walk alone or walk with your clan? As a Leader do you lead from the front like the alpha wolf or protect your clan from behind? An organisation needs alphas as well as those who stand behind as support pillars. It is us who needs to strike that balance. Moreover, it is important to also analyze what sort of an organisation are you building? Is it an alpha high energy competitive space or a more accommodative and less competing space?

Conclusion

Building Leaders requires a lot of handholding, mentorship and clear direction. Trying to develop leaders without these basic values will only lead to a confused organization.

This discussion can go on for eons. We will discuss some of the leadership traits that I believe in as Leader, in my next blog.