I was raised to believe I could become whatever I bothered to learn. No single idea has served me better. A great quote can provide personal inspiration and can be used to educate others. We like to open most of our blogs with an enlightening quotation that relates to the topic. To distinguish your leadership behaviors is one area of particular interest to us.
Ever wondered how the best leaders handle distinguishing their leadership behaviors so effortlessly? The truth is, most highly successful people do stumble, worry, and doubt themselves, just like the rest of us. But they are very good at mastering the way they are perceived.
Zen teaches that the potential to achieve enlightenment is inherent in everyone but lies dormant because of ignorance. It is best awakened not by the study of scripture or the practice of good deeds, but by breaking the boundaries of mundane logical thought. The ability to distinguish your leadership behaviors certainly break through these boundaries.
I have been in the military and business world for forty years and often get asked what I believe are the most important leadership behaviors. It takes time and practice to be a top-line leader. You are not borne with leadership behaviors. And you are never done developing them.
My experience leads me to this list of xx business leadership behaviors that most successful leaders all share. They rank as the most significant to success as a leader in my perspective.
If you want to be a better leader, work on continuously distinguishing this list of leadership behaviors:
Commitment
People believe in those leaders that stand strong through adversity.
Inspire and motivate
No matter how good you are, you will only be as successful as your team. So, getting the most from each team member is critical. We call this being a multiplier leader. Multiplier leaders know the importance of bringing out the smarts and capabilities in everyone around them.
Great leaders inspire motivation and learning. They create environments where learners feel empowered, impassioned, and engaged.
Distinguishing Leadership Behavior … innovation
Learning from others is always important to me. For example, I have learned innovation from Amazon. They have one of the very best innovation cultures in an industry built on constant innovation and change.
Experiment and change
Remember, change and innovate, BEFORE you have to. Change is a big part of the reality in business. New ideas are the lifeblood of business. And the basis for creative change.
Your life will be in constant change mode, and that is a good thing if you lead change in the direction of your success goals. To do that most successfully, you should try lots of new things continually. For things you like, get very good at them with lots of practice. But keep trying new activities.
I love this quote from Jeff Bezos:
If you double the number of experiments you do per year, you’re going to double your inventiveness.
If you ask the best business leaders, they’ll tell you that experimentation is imperative for their business. It’s how innovations are born and how they stay competitive in the market. Experimentation is everywhere and is always happening.
Your career is not your life
This was probably the most difficult of my lessons, particularly early to mid-career. To be successful in this lesson, you should develop a breath to your list of activities and always put family and friends first.
To do both well, think about activities that maximize your friends and family, like coaching your children’s sports teams.
Dedicate yourself to continuous learning
I am a big believer in continuous learning. You should always seek to be flexible and keep several alternative paths in front of you. Always be on the lookout for ways to reinvent ways for self-improvement. My most favored quote on continuous learning comes from Charles Darwin:
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
Grow kindness
All of these life lessons get better when you have a strong foundation in knowing how to be kind to others. I have never found a better way to stay happy. Kindness costs you nothing, and you’d be surprised how much it can do for your leadership.
Always look to find something to make you laugh
Another important factor in your happiness is enjoying a good laugh as often as you can. Making fun of yourself and your mistakes is a great place to start.
Clarity
People trust the clear and mistrust the ambiguous.
Connection
People like to be around people with whom they have relationships.
Boost team self-esteem
We have written on employee attitude and engagement on several occasions. Employee attitude is so critical that it can’t be overemphasized. It trickles down from employers. Your business can never be what it can be if you don’t focus on employee happiness.
Leaders should make employees feel good about themselves. It is something all people crave. Constantly criticizing and pointing out the flaws in an employee is a sure-fire way to decrease morale and performance.
Consistency
People love to see things done consistently. They like to know what to expect.
Distinquishing leadership behavior … character
People take notice of those who do what is right over what is easy.
Vision
People need leaders who communicate a clear and compelling vision of the future.
Continuous learning
People always put more confidence in those who continually expand their skills and talents. Especially those who share their know-how in these new talents.
Results oriented
People always respond to great results.
Patience
Many leaders are intolerant of others who might do things differently, or at a pace the leader finds unacceptable. Action-oriented leaders may tend to jump to conclusions before things are thought through.
The lack of patience can manifest itself as anger or decisions that aren’t fully thought through. The most effective leadership behaviors reflect patience.
Live your strengths
Good leaders coach what makes you effective so you can tap into those skills at any time.
Guide talent
Coach your teams and develop their future paths. People respond favorably to leaders offering help.
Compassion
People put faith in those who care the most beyond themselves.
Distinquishing leadership behavior … guide teamwork
People love working as part of great teams. They appreciate leaders who coach teamwork and develop their future paths.
Sizzle
People appreciate a more magnetic and memorable communicator.
Inspire change
Many people don’t do well with change. They do favorably respond to leaders who explain the need for the change.
Remove barriers
People are frustrated with obstacles and barriers. They appreciate leaders who continually focus on removing them.
The bottom line
Pay attention to the bottom line. The best leaders help their people succeed.
