~ Spotted in the news today ~~ What a fat cat might say today ~
Udders is the name of a Singapore-grown ice cream cafe. As far as I can tell, they have five outlets in Singapore. I might not even have known of their existence if the paper hadn't highlighted it. However, once I knew, I checked out their website and noticed that they seem to be pretty innovative and fun. I'm going over this afternoon to check them out!
Being forward-looking and innovative are leadership skills that can certainly be taught, learned or picked up. Having a fun theme throughout your business or enterprise is also something that can be grown or even constructed if you set your mind to it. They are definitely very useful skills to have, or to be able to hire. Have you thought about equipping yourself with more leadership skills, and adding new ones to your repertoire? Or perhaps being fun and innovative is just part of your leadership style. It's the way you lead without you having to think about it. Well, what do you think contributes to your having a fun leadership style, a style that people love and are willing to work with?
While you're mulling over that in the background, let's look at leadership styles, skills and substance. Have you ever heard something like "Don't worry, he's not all that bad, it's just his style!"? Sounds familiar? How about "She's such a great boss to work for! Everything is so clear, and we feel great coming to work!"? I hope the second sounds as familiar as the first, if not more! What makes the difference: style, skills or substance?
Each of us has our own unique style. That is in the design of it, for if there never have been any two snowflakes alike, how can there ever have been two beings of seventy trillion cells apiece being the same? So, style has very little to do with how we view leaders, whether effective, likeable, followable, admirable or any other number of "...ables". Sure, we may naturally take to certain styles and have less of an affinity to other styles, but that has nothing to do with how much we esteem any particular leader. "It's just my style" is never a good excuse for bad leadership. Neither is it something to be emulated in what may be perceived as a "good" leadership style.
What about skills? Many leadership frameworks advocate the acquiring and development of leadership skills as being vital to becoming a successful leader in all aspects. While it is 
important to get leadership skills, it is even more important to have the right motives for getting those skills. Negotiation skills, people skills, management skills, strategizing and innovation skills are all important, and having such skills can definitely get you to the top of an organization, but why do you want to be there? We have seen too many fat cats whose sole desire to be at the helm of an organization is to implicitly earn the title of "A man of means" or "A woman of substance", prima facie at least. Of course, we need to be careful of adopting a "Robin Hood" mentality and of wanting to exchange bad incumbent leaders for worse. There ARE great leaders at the helms of organizations, and we would do these extraordinary ladies and gentlemen, and ourselves, a great injustice if we blacklist the entire league. So, what is the substance of a great leader? Simple. One who desires to give of himself to serve others, and who decides to do so now. Great leadership does not just happen when one announces the end of apartheid rule in his country, or firmly maintaining his airline's successful niche as a low-cost carrier. It happens when we decide to give a little every day. It happens when we decide to be disciplined every day. It happens when we decide to be decisive every day. Does that sound fun? Tell you a secret - the funnest leaders are those who capitalize on the strengths of their own styles, adjust their own styles to fit others', gain all the skills they can, and consistently look for ways to make life better for all those around them. There. I've told you. It's not a secret any more. So, BE a great leader. Now.
Gie is the Chief Executive and Knowledge Principal at g KNOWS. She was the 