My 30 years of leadership in a variety of positions has afforded me the opportunity to work with some of the best, and worse, leaders around. What I’ve discovered as a result that regardless of one’s particular enabling leadership qualities, a leader can always become better if they set their mind to it.
Indeed, the difference between an average leader and one that many would consider exceptional is the willingness and dedication to improve. As the old adage suggests, all you have to do is work at it.
But wait. Today the role of leaders has changed. Their primary function is no longer to plan and direct action, but to inspire and empower belief around a single mission and to shape networks that enable actions to take place at the speed which the environment demands. That, in turn, requires the use of platforms that allow everyone in the enterprise to access ecosystems of talent, technology and information.
With that, here are suggestions to help you to become a better leader:
What being a leader means
Well, according to Google a “leader” is a person who leads or commands a group, organization or country.
I’ll take that, and add a bit to it:
I believe a leader is someone who has a certain amount of expertise in whatever industry or niche they are in, and that they actively share their insights with those around them through writing, speaking, and taking action.
But how exactly do you go about becoming a better leader?
“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” -Ben Franklin
There has never been a faster-changing marketplace than the one we live in today. Leaders must be flexible in managing changing opportunities and challenges and nimble enough to pivot at the right moment.
Stubbornness is no longer desirable to most organizations. Instead, humility and the willingness to adapt mark a great leader.
The most effective leaders – whether they are coaches or CEOs – are passionate about what they are doing and why it works.
If your team is to join you in pursuing a goal, show them a reason to reach it. It’s not enough for you to believe in reaching a higher, better standard; the skill of leadership involves inculcating that same fervent, passionate belief in others – that they can reach it.
Enabling leadership qualities … passion: do not be lukewarm
The best leaders see how each person on the team can contribute to the overall goal – and inspire them to strive for that goal every day.
To inspire higher aspirations in people, show them that what you’re doing matters by making your messages personally relevant – demonstrate that you see the problems they face, the qualities they bring to the table and what their personal needs may be.
By understanding those you lead, by leveraging their strengths and pushing them outside their comfort zones toward that shared aspiration, you can inspire people to believe in their own abilities to reach exceptional heights.
Listening
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway
Listening is the foundation of any good relationship. Great leaders listen to what their customers and prospects want and need, and they listen to the challenges those customers face.
They listen to colleagues and are open to new ideas. They listen to shareholders, investors, and competitors.
“The only way to do great work is to love the work you do.” -Steve Jobs
Enabling leadership qualities … passion
Those who love what they do don’t have to work a day in their lives. People who are able to bring passion to their business have a remarkable advantage, as that passion is contagious to customers and colleagues alike.
Finding and increasing your passion will absolutely affect your bottom line.
The boss maps out how strong teams communicate and come together to work through conflict.
Unity: do not divide our team
In any team, there will be conflict. More important is how the team functions as a whole and how skilled its members are.
The most successful teams communicate well, building on each other’s ideas. They agree on the team’s overarching mission, but they also each have a meaningful, internalized objective that makes the broader goal their own.
They have an ordered internal process in place which, though it may evolve, receives the attention and commitment of all involved. Ultimately, the roles of each team member are clearly defined, but they exist in a state of independence and true partnership.
“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.” -Robert McAfee Brown
Storytelling
After listening, leaders need to tell great stories in order to sell their products, but more important, in order to sell their ideas.
Storytelling is what captivates people and drives them to take action. Whether you’re telling a story to one prospect over lunch, a boardroom full of people, or thousands of people through an online video – storytelling wins customers.
Great leaders tend to use stories to get their ideas across. Work on crafting engaging and informative narratives as a way to communicate and inspire and watch how your leadership cred grows within your organization.
“Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds.” -SEAL Team Saying
Enabling leadership qualities … team playing
No matter how small your organization, you interact with others every day. Letting others shine, encouraging innovative ideas, practicing humility, and following other rules for working in teams will help you become a more likable leader.
You’ll need a culture of success within your organization, one that includes out-of-the-box thinking.
A flashy or selfish play might be fun in the short term, but harmful in the long run.
Humility: know who you are
Narcissistic teammates tend to be flashy and demonstrate self-confidence and comfort with risk-taking – and sadly, these traits may lead to the initial perception that they are impressive.
But studies show that they are also more likely to disparage others, take more than reasonable credit, hog opportunities for themselves, engage in impulsive behavior and respond defensively to feedback.
The boss teaches “Don’t think too highly of yourself.” The competition is fierce. They are gunning for you. Look at your firm objectively. How can you improve?
We are not perfect. What can we do to improve our client experience? Your success is because of many team members’ contributions. How can we up our game and train players to perform better so we can enchant our clients?
“As a small businessperson, you have no greater leverage than the truth.” -John Whittier
Transparency
There is nowhere to hide anymore, and businesspeople who attempt to keep secrets will eventually be exposed. Openness and honesty lead to happier staff and customers and colleagues.
More important, transparency makes it a lot easier to sleep at night – unworried about what you said to whom, a happier leader is a more productive one.
The best teams help each teammate become a better version of themselves, How can we help our colleagues – and ourselves – bring our ‘whole selves’ to work? Unfortunately, many of us will run into situations in which the person we want to be may be in conflict with the expectations of our organizations, our bosses, even our peers.
Servanthood: make teammates better
On the other hand, if team members feel that their values align well with the team’s overall goals, they can feel comfortable and find room to grow, even when things go wrong.
“I had no idea that being your authentic self could make me as rich as I’ve become. If I had, I’d have done it a lot earlier.” -Oprah Winfrey
Authenticity
Great leaders are who they say they are, and they have integrity beyond compare. Vulnerability and humility are hallmarks of the authentic leader and create a positive, attractive energy. Customers, employees, and media all want to help an authentic person to succeed.
There used to be a divide between one’s public self and private self, but the social internet has blurred that line. Tomorrow’s leaders are transparent about who they are online, merging their personal and professional lives together.
Emphasize gratitude that the team has done well and that they have been able to grow and learn.
Thankfulness: learn from each circumstance
Be thankful each morning for the gift of life – another day to embrace your learning journey. Give thanks throughout your day to those that serve you, help you and who are kind and giving to you.
Give special thanks each day to your loved ones and teammates – remembering that no one achieves their full potential by themselves. We all need others to be all we can be.
Gratitude must be a constant drumbeat of your dialogue. Infuse your conversations with appreciation of your team’s acumen and determination to improve.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” -Charles Swindoll
Responsiveness
The best leaders are responsive to their customers, staff, investors, and prospects. Every stakeholder today is a potential viral sparkplug, for better or for worse, and the winning leader is one who recognizes this and insists upon a culture of responsiveness.
Whether the communication is email, voice mail, a note or a a tweet, responding shows you care and gives your customers and colleagues a say, allowing them to make a positive impact on the organization.
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” -Gilbert Chesterton
Gratefulness
Likeable leaders are ever grateful for the people who contribute to their opportunities and success.
Being appreciative and saying thank you to mentors, customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders keeps leaders humble, appreciated, and well received. It also makes you feel great! Donor’s Choose studied the value of a hand-written thank-you note, and actually found donors were 38% more likely to give a 2nd time if they got a hand-written note!
To close, give these ideas a try. Done well, you will become a brilliant leader. Keep in mind, though, it does require effort and a commitment to continually develop new leadership skills and behaviors on your part. With that, the sky is the limit.
The bottom line
Need some help in capturing more improvements for your staff’s leadership, teamwork, and collaboration? Creative ideas in running or facilitating a team or leadership workshop?
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Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
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Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Do you have a lesson about making your advertising better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed how reasonable we will be.
More reading on teamwork from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
So You Want To Be a More Influential Leader?
The Zen of Distinguishing Your Leadership Behaviors
If You Are Demotivating the Team Here’s the Action to Take
14 John Wooden Leadership Qualities for Your Career
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