Leader for Everyone – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1155

Leader for Everyone – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1155

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1155 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma    Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to pharmaveterans2017@gmail.com  for publishing your contributions here.

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Preamble

“We don’t get to choose who we lead. We have to lead everybody. We have to get them from where we are to where we’re trying to go as a team.” Robert E. Siegel. Author of ‘The Systems Leader – Mastering the Cross Pressures that Make or Break Today’s Companies’. 

Leadership, at its core, is not about comfort, convenience, or selective engagement. It is about responsibility. The quote above encapsulates one of the most profound truths of leadership: you don’t get to pick and choose your followers the way you might select friends, colleagues, or even employees. Once you step into a leadership role, whether as a manager, a team head, a business owner, or a national leader, you inherit the team that is there. Your job is to make that team effective, cohesive, and purposeful enough to reach a shared goal.

This principle may sound straightforward, but in practice it is anything but. Most leaders quickly discover that the people they lead are diverse in personalities, abilities, expectations, and motivations. Some are enthusiastic, others skeptical. Some are talented but difficult, others loyal but under-skilled. Yet, the responsibility remains: the leader must guide them all forward together.

In today’s uncertain world, marked by rapid technological change, shifting business models, and unpredictable global events, this responsibility is even more critical. Let us explore why this principle matters, the challenges it brings, and the strategies leaders can use to truly “lead everybody” from where they are to where they need to go.

Leadership Is About Inclusion, Not Selection

Unlike in sports, where captains may draft their ideal team, or in talent shows where judges pick only the best, leadership in organizations is different. Leaders don’t get to cherry-pick only the most talented or the most agreeable people. Instead, they inherit a mix, a reflection of organizational realities, hiring histories, and cultural diversity.

This truth requires leaders to adopt an inclusive mindset. Every person on the team has a role to play, and leadership means discovering and maximizing that role. Even the most challenging individuals often bring unique perspectives or skills that, when managed well, can contribute to success.

When leaders fall into the trap of only focusing on “star performers,” they risk alienating the rest of the team. Such exclusion breeds resentment and disengagement. True leaders understand that progress happens when everyone feels valued and involved.

The Challenges of Leading Diverse Teams

Different Skill Levels

Not every team member is at the same level of competence. Some require more training; others need more autonomy. Balancing these differences without slowing down the overall progress is a constant challenge.

Varied Personalities

Every leader knows the difficulty of managing clashing personalities, introverts and extroverts, cautious thinkers and risk-takers, peacemakers and challengers. It’s tempting to sideline “difficult” personalities, but those voices often highlight risks or opportunities others miss.

Resistance to Change

When leading transformation or innovation, some team members jump in eagerly, while others resist. The leader must bring even the skeptics along, because unity is more powerful than partial commitment.

Cultural and Generational Differences

Today’s workplace often includes employees from multiple generations, cultures, and backgrounds. Each group brings different expectations of leadership, communication, and work-life balance. The challenge is to respect those differences while aligning everyone around shared goals.

Why Leaders Must Lead Everybody

It may seem efficient to focus only on the most willing or able team members, but that approach undercuts the very essence of leadership. Here’s why leading everybody matters:

Unity creates strength. A fragmented team cannot achieve big goals. The weakest link often determines the outcome.

Engagement drives productivity. Studies consistently show that employees who feel excluded or undervalued perform poorly, while inclusive leadership unlocks discretionary effort.

Diversity brings innovation. Some of the most powerful ideas emerge from unexpected places—the quiet analyst, the skeptical veteran, or the culturally different newcomer.

Sustainability requires inclusion. Teams built only around a few “stars” collapse when those stars leave. Long-term strength depends on engaging the full team.

From “Where We Are” to “Where We’re Going”

The second half of the quote highlights another essential leadership truth: the leader’s job is not just to manage the present but to guide the team toward a future vision. This means two things:

Meeting People Where They Are

Good leaders recognize the starting point of every team member. Some may be confident, others anxious. Some may be skilled, others novices. Leadership begins with acknowledging reality rather than expecting uniform readiness. By assessing skills, motivations, and concerns, leaders can provide tailored support that meets each person at their current stage.

Creating Shared Purpose

While individuals start from different places, the leader must unite them around a common destination. This requires articulating a clear vision, connecting it to individual roles, and showing how the journey benefits both the organization and the people.

For example, a sales team might resist adopting a new digital tool. The leader who explains how the tool will reduce administrative burden and free up time for customer engagement is more likely to get buy-in than one who simply mandates compliance.

Practical Strategies to Lead Everybody

• So, how can leaders apply this principle in practice? Here are actionable steps:

• Develop Emotional Intelligence

• Create Psychological Safety

• Balance Challenge and Support

• Communicate Relentlessly

• Recognize and Celebrate Contributions

• Adapt Leadership Styles

• Lead by Example

The Moral Responsibility of Leadership

Beyond performance and innovation, there is also an ethical dimension to leading everybody. Leadership carries power, and with power comes responsibility. To neglect or exclude members of the team is, in essence, to abandon one’s duty. True leadership respects the inherent dignity of each person and recognizes their right to grow and contribute.

This does not mean lowering standards or avoiding tough decisions. Leaders must still hold people accountable, make difficult calls, and sometimes let go of those who consistently undermine the mission. But until that point, every leader owes each person their full commitment to growth, inclusion, and respect.

Sum Up

The quote reminds us of an essential truth: leadership is not about preferences but about purpose. Leaders don’t get to pick who they lead. They must engage the whole team, with all its strengths and weaknesses, to move from where they are to where they need to be. This is not an easy task. It demands patience, empathy, resilience, and vision. But it is the only way to build teams that are not just productive in the short term but resilient and innovative in the long run. The true measure of leadership is not how well you lead the easy ones, the talented, the agreeable, the enthusiastic, but how effectively you bring along the difficult, the different, and the doubtful. Only then can you truly say you have led everybody.

Concluded.

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For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intent to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, any claim is lodged, it will be acknowledged and recognized duly.