Joshua Komolafe

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Leadership Thoughts 102

Anyone that has worked with me, knows this to be true! 
Some people haven't understood this in the past and it's caused rifts, because they felt, "If you already know what you want, why are you asking me/us?" But Colin Powell phrases it perfectly... I expect team members to challenge my notion; to try and come up with something better and even to try suggest (should that actually be the case) why we are going in the wrong direction/not considering the important things etc. But know that, for me to propose an idea, I also have a reason and will push to make you see why I think it can work. Any leader that doesn't have an opinion is not serving in humility, but, rather, is akin to the doormat that didn't speak up to be cleaned. After a while, it became unbearable and was replaced.

Side note: I actually try to listen to ideas and always ensure that the 'best' idea wins. Regardless of whether it was my idea or not.

No good leader likes a "Yes, Yes" person. With so few people to trust, you find that you become valued member of any team when you (wisely) present the different opinion the team are failing to see—no matter how painful it is. Any good leader, will ensure that his team is full of diverse people... Once that team of diverse can agree on a singular direction, you're half way there. Infact, I go so far as to say: the success of any particular vision is dependent on the diversity in opinion/view point of any leadership team.