One of the greatest traits in leaders is that they are able to handle being at the top so effortlessly that you wonder if they ever doubted themselves.
According to Deirdre Maloney, a speaker and author, these people do struggle, but they've also mastered how they're viewed by others.
"Great leaders know that every step they take, every decision they make, matters in the end," she wrote in her book "Tough Truths
"They know they must strategize carefully, then act aggressively. They know they must think ahead — not just to their next step — but to the many steps after it. They know they must always be on the look-out for opportunities, and for others who will fight them for the same."
In her book, Maloney shared 11 tough leadership lessons that aren't usually discussed by those on top.
Everything is politics
This is not about the politicians, but about the politics that we have to face every day, because "we interact with people who have what we want, and who want what we have to give."
This is not a bad thing.
"Whether we want our boss to give us a raise, our child to stop squirming on the airplane, or the department store to take back our purchase when we don't have a receipt, every single interaction involves influencing and persuading others in order to get what we want.
And great leaders understand that this persuasion is everywhere and that not only do you have to have great work ethic, you also have to have the "ability to have relatable, effective and influential relationships."
Even when you don't think that someone you meet can do something for you at the moment, you know that they could be a significant factor in the future.
Source: Tough Truths
Success makes you unpopular
When you're a leader-in-progress, you will have people supporting you whether that's your boss or colleagues. However, once you start achieving the expectations that these people have, you'll become less-liked by them.
Your success has made you unpopular.
Maloney said that to be a great leader, you need to have a "strong will and an even stronger stomach." At the end of the day, you need to remind yourself that your job isn't to make everyone happy, but rather to improve the organization as a whole.
Source: Tough Truths
You aren't really that interesting
Everyone thinks that they're interesting, but great leaders know that their stories aren't as interesting to other people as it is to themselves. So they keep the focus on the other person.
"They keep their stories short, their complaints even shorter. They don't send long emails or memos that go on for pages. They leave the other person wanting more."
Instead, when you turn the attention on the other person, they will inevitably share more about themselves with you, and when this happens, a bond is formed and that's how you get people to trust you.
During these conversations, those great leaders never get your name wrong and they're fully focused on what you're saying.
Source: Tough Truths
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