Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of columns discussing leadership on Kaua‘i — a place where leaders discuss the qualities and expectations of leadership specific to the Garden Island. Are you a good leader? How do you
Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of columns discussing leadership on Kaua‘i — a place where leaders discuss the qualities and expectations of leadership specific to the Garden Island.
Are you a good leader? How do you know? How many leadership opportunities have you had? My first leadership lesson was when I was ten years old and was hiking with my best friend, Neil. He stopped as we were walking up Koko Head and said, “How come you are always leading? I want to lead once in a while.” It was probably that I was just a faster walker, not a natural born leader. In any case, I let him take the lead much of the time after that.
My toughest leadership challenge came at age 22 when I lead a group of ten Navy salvage divers for a year in Vietnam. They were all older than I was and didn’t take kindly to a naïve officer. I learned quickly and my most valuable attributes at the time were that I was a pretty good diver and did not shy away from the toughest jobs. That earned me respect and made my job as leader considerably easier. I have had many leadership positions in the community over the past thirty years. I am more of a doer than a planner, so I like being in a support position, but take leadership opportunities as they arise, currently in several non-profit organizations.
If you review your past you will find times when you were a leader. If you are like me, this review will show you what leadership levels you gravitate toward. In my case, I like to lead small groups and teams and also like to work alone as I like the doing part more than the leading part.
The honest way to find out what your leadership strengths are is to ask the ones you lead — your followers and friends. Ask them what your strengths are and work to improve on those. There are many, many attributes necessary to good leadership — integrity, honesty, vision, expertise in the field, compassion, communication, predictability, appreciation, drive, energy, focus on the future, ability to cooperate — just to name a few.
Don’t spend much time on your weaknesses, unless the weakness is in communication. Communication is probably the most important attribute for a leader. Particularly if you are leading a large group, communication is critical and challenging. In small groups, communication is easier yet just as important.
Besides working on improving your strengths, take opportunities to lead. Take risks, step outside your comfort zone. The community needs your help and leadership.
• Mark Hubbard is a human resources consultant.
