The Major Attributes of Leadership (#9 of 11): Mastery of Detail

We continue our examination of Napoleon Hill’s landmark work by discussing at length this essential facet of great leadership:

Like the first five characteristics of a great leader (see prior Blogs) this item inspires confidence and faith in one’s followers. Personality character details like #’s 6, 7 & 8 engender loyalty and love from one’s followers, but love lacking confidence can only create a limited momentum to one’s purpose. Without displaying a mastery of the details (a thorough understanding) of every aspect of the goal set forth by a great leader, we can never rightly expect our followers to follow blindly (i.e.: accepting that our direction will succeed with confidence even when they do not fully comprehend the entire plan themselves). Therefore, early in a leadership role, it behooves a great leader to display mastery over the execution of details. Explaining the why and how of plan elements and putting them into context for our followers and then demonstrating the exact result that we expect by performing the task ourselves as an example to be followed.

As an example:  At a resort project that I am developing for my client and his investors, my role is that of an administrator and business plan manager. However, I also seek to be a facilitator. An administrator may point to something and tell a group to go do it. A facilitator will also step in to fill missing roles and bridge gaps to ensure that the team members have the tools and resources they need to pull all of the pieces together efficiently. I have also sought to empathize with my team by showing them that I understand the intricacies of their individual jobs. Therefore, I have performed plumbing, carpentry, electrical, lock-smith, painting and labor work side by side with my team, as well as design, engineering, architectural, code compliance & municipal liaison and negotiations efforts. All, of course, to a limited degree and atop of the main reason for my being here, which is to manage the budget, cash-flow, schedule, product quality and delivery. However, by demonstrating to the team that I know each and every one of their jobs, my goal has been two-fold. One, to let them know that I understand each of their individual challenges, but two, to ensure they are aware they cannot fool me in any way. That I can see everything in its appropriate context and will hold each of them accountable for what I know they are capable of.  And, of course, I only do these things enough to establish the proper atmosphere of personal responsibility and high expectations, since painting or carpentry is obviously not the highest and best use of my time.

The point is that mastering the details of one’s leadership position lends truth to an expression I have used on many occasions: “People will live up to, or down to, your expectations of them.”  If you expect a lot from your followers in full knowledge of their capabilities, then that is what you will get. If you expect little from them, perhaps because you yourself do not have mastery over the details, then little is what you will get (and what you will deserve).