Inheritance
The vision
of an authentic leader is to do something big, something that lasts
and something that lives on.
The leader
should not limit himself to looking for objectives in the short term,
not look for only doing good for the company whilst he is working
there.
The leader
wants to leave his mark, contribute to something useful and long lasting
that benefits the company, the employees and the society in general.
Necessity
to satisfy the ego: if this was the only reason he would have a weak
and limited concept of leadership.
He is convinced
that he should take advantage of his capacity to contribute, to improve
the quality of life of the people around him.
To reach
this objective the leader should: worry about creating a culture and
a work system within the organization which will live on after he
leaves. To do this he has to make sure that the way he works, the
way he looks for excellence spreads to all levels of the company.
Besides,
he has to worry abut forming new leaders, so that when the moment
arises, they can take the company by the reins.
On the
other hand, the leader should know when it is
a good idea to retire and give way to new people.
When his
energy and abilities begin to decrease, when he is being pushed strongly
from behind, from people with new ideas, with new vigour, the leader
should know how to stand back and allow others to take the helm.
The leader
shouldn’t wait to hear people ask for a substitute.
The leader
should be conscious that his position at the head of the company is
temporary and that it will maintain only whilst he is the person that
“pushes” the most.
A leader
that doesn’t accept standing down that clutches his position
can end up deeply harming the organization.
