Why Leadership?
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In a typical corporate project, there will be a project with end deliverables. o There will be a set of requirements. These are the immovable parts. o There will be a group of resources. These are the movable parts o So the deliverable is broken into requirements and timelines. o Requirements and timelines are converted into tasks and smaller milestones.
These tasks and milestones are distributed to the resources. Each resource knows what task to complete and what timelines and milestones to follow. The project is about the immovable parts being converted into resultant deliverables using the movable parts.
Why do we need leaders?
So if all resources know what tasks to perform and what timeline to follow. Just a computer program or chart should do. If it is to just have a person asking if the task is complete by each milestone or not, then just a project manager should do. Why so much importance on leadership? Why do we need leaders? And why is so much money spent on leadership?
It is understood that it is because of hundreds of hidden variables and intangible parameters in the movable parts. It is because people are happy to be followers, just workers. There is a need for some one to glue all the pieces of the puzzle or deliverables together and to make sure that the pieces are falling in place appropriately on time.
Did leadership choose you?
How would you know if the status of the leadership chose you or if you chose the status for various reasons? List the reasons. If you won a multi million dollar lottery, would you continue to be in the status that you are in now? If any of the members in the team won the lottery would they continue to be doing what they are doing today? Do an honest check and see why are you doing what you are doing.
The hidden variables and intangible parameters are numerous and unpredictable. Each individual comes with his own mental setup and reasons for being part of the project. The conscious and unconscious reasons that drive them to be a part of the project may change sometimes daily based on their interaction with the challenges of the task and others. The conscious and unconscious reason that drive You to be a part of the project and how you interact with these members also changes on a daily basis. It seems to be highly relative. It is directly related to these various parameters and variables of which all are external.