About 4 months ago, I wrote an article titled “Yes-men do not complement a good leader.” But does this mean “yes-men” are a no-no and great leaders should avoid them by any means? Absolutely not!
Part of being a good leader is leading diverse individuals or even finding the right balance when building a cohesive team. And before you say I am contradicting myself, please hear me out. When “Yes-men” far dominate or are the individuals in a good leader’s team, then that cannot complement him or her. That was what the previous article was about. Please have an enjoyable read.
“Yes-men” (Avid followers) are an asset to a good leader. And that leader must put them into effective use. But how are “yes-men” an asset I hear you ask? Here are a few instances.
WHEN A PROJECT NEEDS TO BE EXECUTED QUICKLY
Yes-men are not all the same. They are some that a good leader has been able to covert over time because he/she has been able to deliver consistent results under their leadership. That is why a good leader must do what leaders do and have results to show for it repeatedly. That way, he builds confidence and loyalty in the process, so they do not second-guess him/her anymore. Such “yes-men” will go over and beyond to deliver for their principal.
WHEN A PROJECT IS COMPLEX TO EXECUTE
Yes-men are very zealous about their role in a project and with a significant amount of them under the leadership of a good leader, these men/women tend to subdue or should I say galvanize the team. Should there be a few that would have been dissidents, yes-men may just make them seem unprofessional, counter-productive, or redundant. Suddenly what looks impossible is being latched on and no one wants to look like the outcast when the victory song starts.
Such is how Yes-men can be an asset to a good leader. You may have noticed I keep saying a good leader. Not great, not just a leader but a good leader. There is a difference. A great leader can motivate a vast army to invade a country and rob them off their natural resources, committing heinous crimes along the way just so his/her country can survive at the expense of the weaker country.
But a good leader will resist such a move despite having such absolute power. He/she would rather dig deeper to exploit other means to generate wealth for his/her country or collaborate with other nations to produce mutual beneficial returns. That is the difference.
Finally, a good leader worth his/her salt, will not be too comfortable surrounded by only yes-men. A leader is human and prone to mistakes or have excesses. A good leader needs that one person or two who can rein in those excesses. But not too many of those if you want to get a lot of work done.
