The Importance of Sacrifice for Leaders

In this modern world there are not many who make the choice to become excellent leaders; there are many great politicians, executives and managers out there but very few choose to be excellent. Some of the greatest leaders only become this way due to sacrifices that they have made for others; this is something that all leaders should take into account when trying to improve their own leadership skills. Sometimes being a great leader means that you have to make great sacrifices for the company, for your employees and for the goal that your company is working towards.

What You Can’t Take Back
Many leaders follow the foolish belief that if they sacrifice their money for the company they will be seen as a better leader. In the majority of cases this is not correct, it’s very simple to earn money back and if you possess a large sum of money already, it would be a very small sacrifice if you were to spend a little of this money on your employees or the company.

The best type of sacrifice is one that you cannot take back or earn back, such as your time and your energy. Putting in extra hours to take some of the workload from employees that are struggling, even if it means that you are pushed to your limit, are the best sacrifices you can make as they are personal sacrifices; you gain nothing from these sacrifices but those around you stand to win so much.

Shared Responsibility, Power and Progression
There are more sacrifices than just those of your time and energy; some sacrifices include dividing power between your colleagues and employees. Poor leaders aim to hoard power, even if this damages the company and does not aid the progression or development of those around them or the business itself.

A great leader will sacrifice some of their power and distribute it amongst those that they trust. With more members of the company holding authority, more people can adjust, amend or change plans for the future of the company. Also, the more people that are given authority to make changes the wider the variety of ideas that will be flowing and more people will be inspired into sacrificing their time and energy to see that you reach your goal and that the company thrives.

Stay Strong and True
There are far too many people in the world that have taken leadership roles and are not strong enough to stay true to what they believe, what is best for the company and those working within it. Many people crumble under a moderate amount of pressure and will give in to the wants and desires of the employees, even if their desires will not benefit the business, the employees or the leader.

It’s important that whilst you listen to the ideas of your employees and communicate effectively with them you do not let others push you into poor decisions. However, if one of your employees makes a good suggestion, don’t be afraid to praise them for their idea; recognising talent in others is an excellent method of gaining respect.

Your Employees or Your Shareholders
Very rarely are shareholders interested in the long term future of the company as they could simply choose to leave if they found a better investment opportunity. Their primary focus is short term profits and this is where a true business leader must stand up and protect the most important resource a company has – their employees.

When business is strong, you have to remember to share the wealth with all those involved in creating it through bonuses and reward schemes. This won’t always sit right with your shareholders as it takes money out of their pocket but sometimes you must sacrifice your reputation with investors to reward the people who made the success possible.

Although, it’s important that you follow these steps on your way to becoming an excellent leader, you should also keep in mind that those who trust and respect you are sure to follow suit. Occasions will arise where sacrifices must be made and that is where you must proceed with the action that represents the greater good for your company.