Leaders do and teach

Have you ever heard of a list called: “BASIC RULES FOR BOSSES?”

Here it is:

Rule 1: The Boss is always right!

Rule 2: In the impossible hypothesis that a subordinate may be right, Rule 1 becomes immediately operative.

Rule 3: The boss does not sleep; he rests.

Rule 4: The Boss is never late; he is delayed elsewhere.

Rule 5: The Boss never leaves his work; his attention is required elsewhere.

Rule 6: The Boss never reads the paper in his office; he studies.

Rule 7: The Boss never takes liberties with his secretary; he educates her.

Rule 8: The Boss is always chief, even in his bathing togs.

Rule 9: Whomsoever may enter the boss’s office with an idea of his own must leave the office with the boss’s ideas.

Rule 10: If, in your lamentable ignorance, you fail to grasp the truth, fear not; return to rule 1.

These are rules for bad bosses, not good leaders. 

It was amazing! I was in Cebu co-facilitating the Dr. John C. Maxwell live event beamed through satellite broadcast from Manila to the ballroom of City Sports Club and the place was full! The who’s-who in the corporate world and famous entrepreneurs were there. 320 people listened attentively to Dr. Maxwell talk about leadership lessons for a little over five hours. But what amazed me more is that people stayed behind after Maxwell’s lecture and listened to me for another two hours. Cebuanos are so hungry for learning and they are so gracious as a people. We also had participants who flew in all the way from Palawan, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod and Samar and guess what this means to me? I see hope. That people will pay good money to learn and improve their leadership skills knowing that education and training today are investments not expense.

Dr. Maxwell started the lecture with this very practical principle. He actually debunked the famous cliché: “It’s lonely at the top” in the context of leadership. Instead, Maxwell says:

IF IT’S LONELY AT THE TOP, YOU’RE NOT DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!

Good leaders should have more good leaders working with them. The leader’s climb to the top means he brings his people along with him to the top. A good leader should not be spending all of his time at the top, he should be where the action is – with his people.

Maxwell says: “There are many people in the world who are willing to give advice on things they’ve never experienced. They are like bad travel agents: They sell you an expensive ticket and say, “I hope you enjoy the trip.”Then you never see them again. In contrast, good leaders are like tour guides. They know the territory because they’ve made the trip before, and they do what they can to make the trip enjoyable and successful for everybody.”

A couple of years ago, John Maxwell and I were featured in many billboards along the highways in Manila. A columnist from another newspaper company criticized us and said, “Why the heck are we paying top money for these foreign speakers?”

Don’t we know that those who CAN, they DO? But those who cannot…they TEACH?

Well….2 things. Obviously the writer did not do his homework.

He had mistaken me for a foreigner. I know at quick glace I look like a cross between Jet Lee and Brad Pitt but….it must be my surname. He must have surmised that Francis Kong comes from Hong Kong, Singapore or Malaysia.

Going back to his point…”Those who can…DO. Those who cannot…TEACH?” There may be some truth there. But what about those who cannot do and cannot teach? Maybe they write? (Just kidding…. J….maybe this is why I write too?...)

But wouldn’t you think that the best combination for effective leaders are those who both DO AND TEACH?

The best teachers are not those who practice what they preach. The best teachers are those who preach what they are already practicing!!! A leader’s credibility begins with personal success. It ends with helping others achieve personal success. A leader ALWAYS leads by example whether he intends to or no. That’s just the way it is. 

It’s been just a few days after the Maxwell event, but our office has been swamped with a lot of inquiries and requests for in-house leadership training. This is what gives me hope.

If we can just raise up a generation of good leaders whose hearts are for others not for themselves, whose passion is to make a difference and whose cause is to make this country a better place….then there is hope! 

(Send me your feedback and write me: [email protected]. You can also listen to my radio program “Business Matters” aired 8:30a.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.)