Basil Jarrett | On leadership and communication

IN A recent tribute that I wrote for the late Dr William Foster, I received a number of comments from readers who were not only familiar with the good doctor’s good work, but were also very familiar with the story I shared about that historic 1991 Boys’ Champs.

One reader in particular messaged me to clarify that JC did not, in fact, march to Calabar for their trophy; rather, it was Calabar‘s principal who actually made a peaceful handover to the college the following Wednesday. I had to agree with him, but pointed out that I never did claim that we successfully took our trophy from Calabar that fateful Monday morning. What I didn’t mention in that story was that of the 800 boys who marched out of JC that morning, only about 700 made it to Liguanea. About 600 made it to the then Blue Cross building further down Hope Road, and by the time we rounded the corner at Andrews Hospital, that number was down to about 400. Between the pelting hot sun and the waning belief that what we were doing made sense, only 300 made it to the YMCA, and an even smaller number, 200, reached Half-Way Tree. That gradual disintegration continued all the way along Red Hills Road, and by the time we finally made it to the gates of Calabar, only about six of us were left. The Calabar boys must have been shocked and confused to see these half a dozen blue shirts standing at the gate demanding what was theirs. When they realised the true size and strength of this mini-batallion, they were not amused and showed us exactly how they felt. Trust me. It wasn’t pretty. I know what happened, and I have the welts and bruises to prove it. That morning, I learnt one of life’s most valuable lessons in leadership; as a leader, never be so far ahead that when you look back, you see no one else around.

Too many leaders make the mistake of making it all about themselves and in the process, end up losing their followers. Those leaders are the ones who can most often be heard using the singular ‘I’, instead of the collective ‘we’. It’s a recipe for disaster. Even the best-laid plans and most noble missions can be handicapped by poor, selfish leadership that does not recognise nor reward the contribution of the collective.

A workforce survey that we recently conducted, revealed that up to a third of the staff would quit their position the minute a better, equal or slightly lesser option presented itself. The number one reason behind this? Not pay. Not benefits. Not lack of upward mobility. Most persons wanted to leave simply because they just didn’t trust their leaders. Leaders were blamed for most of the job-related stresses experienced, which led to reduced performance, poor mental and physical health, and a strong desire by employees to exit the organisation.

GOOD LEADERS

Good leaders must therefore be able to motivate, inspire and keep morale high. They must be able to build strong teams and strong relationships. But to do so, good leaders must be able to communicate, and communicate effectively. When leaders fail to communicate and can’t seem to understand why no one else ‘gets it’, there is both a leadership problem and a communications problem. The two typically go hand in hand. Great leaders are good communicators regardless of their environment, their audiences or their perspective. They know how to actively listen and to engage with their constituents, and know how to read and react according to the situation. This is never an easy task, as many leaders are often given the proverbial basket to carry water. But good leaders are savvy enough to know when to use the carrot, when to use the stick, and when to use both. Some leaders are just so woefully inept that if you gave them a carrot, they’d probably just use it to beat you over the head.

Excellent communication skills are therefore critical requirements for great leadership in order to mentor, motivate and inspire. What many persons fail to understand, though, is that communication is much more than simply what you say. It’s also what you do. In other words, we cannot not communicate. Every action, like every word, sends a message, and persons are constantly reading and reacting to the spoken and unspoken messages that leaders deliver. Your actions and your words must therefore be in sync in order to maintain your credibility, your message, and your ability to inspire.

On reflection, the slow dissolution of that 800-strong army of blue-shirt boys could have been down to any number of factors, not the least of which was the searing sun and long trek, which eventually extinguished the drunken euphoria with which we started our journey. The unfortunate mistake that the six of us who made it to Calabar didn’t realise though, was that staying motivated, committed and focused on the mission at hand was only a part of the solution. The other, and arguably more important part, is ensuring that your followers are also equally motivated, committed and focused. Failing to do so may very well leave you nursing several bumps, bruises and blows to more than just your enthusiasm and leadership aspirations.