The Many Faces of Leadership – Part I

I have asked thousands of participants in my leadership workshops to define the activities of effective and fit leaders. Many point to the leader as the key visionary for the organization, while others point to leaders as motivators, risk takers, delegators and masterful communicators. Here is the first in a series of posts highlighting the more common answers I get when asking my clients about the role of leaders in their organizations.

Leaders Do the Right Thing

Faced with multiple choices, leaders do what they believe is the right thing. They are confident in the direction they and the rest of the organization have set and they do not take short cuts to achieving the end goal. They stay focused on desired outcomes and choose courses of action that consistently support the strategies and intentions of the organization. When mid-course corrections are warranted, leaders move quickly to adapt and adjust and give little thought to selfishly protecting their initial positions.

Leaders are Good Listeners

Knowing that effective communication is a balance between both sending and receiving messages, leaders hone their ability to hear competing positions and create environments where others can trust that their ideas and opinions are appreciated and valued. Leaders encourage others to contribute to decision making by demonstrating their openness to a diversity of perspectives. When leaders do choose their preferred course of action, they recognize and acknowledge the level of engagement and the quality of the input they receive, thereby promoting more of the same the next time a decision has to be made.

Leaders Motivate People

One of the more challenging tasks for leaders is to sustain the energy and focus of their teams. Sometimes we refer to this as winning over the hearts and minds of our people. Even the most compelling vision will fail if leaders do not ignite the spark necessary to excite their followers. The best motivational strategies appeal to the individual’s need for belonging, recognition and achievement. In today’s knowledge and experience-based economy, most people seek to make a difference and a contribution. Linking the work of our organizations to these higher-level needs of our people maximize opportunities to keep motivation at a high level.

Leaders are Good Visionaries

Leaders see things that others do not. They are able to synthesize today’s information and forecast where the organization needs to be in the next six months or three years. They are willing to go with their gut and leverage their intuition in ways that create the future for others. Visionaries are not afraid to step forward even when those around them doubt their every move. They have conviction around their beliefs and are confident in the direction they are pointing toward.

Leaders are Reflective

Leaders take the time to think. They preserve the necessary white space in their lives to evaluate alternatives and to ponder the possibilities of their actions. Rather than rushing to action prematurely, leaders apportion enough, but not too much, time to assess the pros and cons of their plans. Some leaders actually carve out specific time on their calendars each day to ensure dedicated time for reflection, while others are able to blend this important activity into their daily deliberations.

Stay tuned for more in this series profiling the many faces of leadership.