Take Me to Your Leader

Jarrod Saracco, the COO of World Gym International, shares the need to adjust the way you think and act as a leader.

Take me to your leader”  is a phrase that has been a staple of cartoons, movies, songs and alien-kind since the early 1950s.

Well, to be honest, we don’t know how long aliens have used that phrase, but as humans, it’s been documented since the 50s.

Regardless, it’s kind of ironic the first thing we as humans think an extra-terrestrial would say or ask when arriving to this planet is demand to speak to the person in charge. Yet, we sometimes set up our business culture so our leaders are nowhere to be found when needed or are simply unreachable. Why is that? The universe may never know.

Maybe it’s a culture thing. Maybe it’s a perception thing. Maybe we have an unrealistic view of what true leadership really is. Or maybe it’s all of those things. One thing though is for certain: We need to adjust the way we think and act as leaders if we want to grow our organizations in an ever-changing world.

Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way and continue to work on:

• Culture. A true leader sets the tone for the company culture. Does your team work “for you” or “with you?” Are you readily available for them? If you think your organization needs change, start with yourself.
  
• Perception. Perception is reality for most people. A true leader doesn’t guess who their team is or what their people think of them — they go find out. When did you last spend time getting to know your team on a deeper level or asked your team to evaluate you?
  
• Unrealistic Views. Society paints tons of pictures of what is and is not “generally acceptable,” and this is also true when it comes to being a leader. We can debate the values of great leadership all day. But take this thought with you: no matter where you land on the topic, the fact is great leadership breeds excellence.

If you’re doing it right, I don’t need you to take me to your leader. I can already see them in the first person I meet.