Job adverts for management positions always want someone who shows superior leadership, and those looking for a promotion will be keen to demonstrate this to their superiors.

Therein lies the paradox and the trap for the unwary: does the person with true leadership skills necessarily think of themselves and their ambitions first? Do they care what others think, or are they  mission focused?

Many organisations suffer the debilitating culture of individuals who are primarily motivated by their own ambitions. This leads to a situation where the focus shifts towards actions that will make them look favourable in the eyes of their superiors, regardless of the impact of these actions on the business objectives.

We’ve all been there.

The person who takes their job as office fire marshal far too
seriously. The person who micromanages and obsesses over the pointless minutiae of others’ work, ignoring the fact that it’s putting everyone behind schedule.

The person who’s thinks shouting is leading, without realising it’s symptomatic of their lack of control over the situation.

On the other hand, there’s always the other type: the person admired for their ability, who others look to emulate. The person who recognises the achievements of others rather than hogging the glory.

The person who’s prepared to go against the grain to get the right results.

A person with true leadership skills is motivated to achieve the
objective. In a situation where they can’t accomplish this alone, they inspire others to follow their example of selfless dedication to achieving the goal.

They probably don’t want that promotion to team leader; they’re already the boss.