7 Leadership Principles all Founders / Leaders should have for their Organization to succeed.
“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate & doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.” – Colin Powell, former General & Secretary of State
Topics: Vision, Communications, Focusing, Moral Compass, High Standards, Humanity, Worker Support, Persistence.
Here are the seven most important leadership qualities all bosses should demonstrate before managing a sub-ordinate — or an organization.
1. An ambitious, inspiring Vision.
It’s no secret. Inspirational bosses foster loyalty and get employees excited. If you’re working for the kind of person you want to become — and you believe in the mission they’re touting — you’ll be more dedicated to & passionate about your job. Of course, as a Leader, it can be incredibly hard to escape the daily grind, step back, then figure out — or tweak — exactly what the grand Vision for your organization should be.
Follow your Instinct. The most inspiring part of your vision might be that you are taking a moral stand through your organization, or that you are attempting to address a challenge others have ignored or that you have a new, outside-the-box take on how to address challenges that many face. The details can be unique to your and your organization’s style, but it must — crucially — reflect your sincere beliefs.
2. Candid Communication Skills.
Passive aggression creates a toxic work environment and discourages workers from giving the boss or company the best efforts they have to offer: Who wants to work hard when it is unclear what, exactly, is expected of you? A great leader provides constructive feedback when a project is not all that was expected They learn from the experience, in order to give better, clearer instructions in the future. This will not only improve the quality of work, but also build employees’ trust.
Communication can be non-verbal, too. Life coach Tony Robbins argues that the best leaders set a good example even in subtle ways: “Know how to set the right tone as a leader by letting your confidence show,” Robbins wrote for his website. “Confident leaders win over their followers because everyone else wants to embody confidence, too.” Eloquence & smart body language are only part of the battle. Remember that you also need to listen carefully during your inter-actions to be a great communicator and to take a pause (and think) before you respond.
3. Aptitude & Attitude for Focusing.
Providing goals & objectives was ranked the 2nd-most important quality in the HBR study. Without these, who would know how to do their jobs properly for the organization to survive & thrive. Good leaders trust their team & delegate daily tasks in a way that let’s the Leader stay focused on the big picture: The very best leaders take that a step further and think hard about what each of their employees is good at — and enjoys doing, then trys to assign accordingly.
“Extraordinary Leaders think through multiple scenarios and the possible impacts of their decisions, while considering viable alternatives and making plans & strategies — all targeted toward the Vision. Once prepared, leaders establish strategies, processes, & routines so that high performance is tangible, easily defined & monitored.” In other words, you’ll want to be flexible — but be very, very prepared.
4. A Moral Compass.
The Harvard Business Review inter-viewed 195 leaders in 30 organizations across 15 countries and asked what they thought were the most important leadership skills. “High ethical & moral standards” came at the top of the list, with 67% of respondents ranking that as the most crucial quality. “These attributes are all about creating a safe & trusting environment,” the author of the study, explained. “A leader with high ethical standards conveys a commitment to fairness, instilling confidence that both they and their workers will honor the rules of the game.”
5. High Standards
Finally, as important as it is for Leaders to lift up & encourage employees, they must also spot mediocrity before it begins and always push workers to grow & develop their skills. Good leaders “challenge” their people by setting high – but attainable – standards & expectations, then giving them the support, tools, training, & freedom to pursue those goals and become the best employees they can possibly be,” Of course, setting high standards for others means it is especially important to hold yourself to these lofty ideals yourself. One key move is staying emotionally controlled — especially while under high levels of stress: “As the leader, by staying calm & confident, you will help keep the team feeling the same,” And that’s why great leadership is all about aiming for the best, preparing for the worst.
6. Humanity
requires you be self-aware & comfortable with yourself. You need to be transparent and human.
“As a leader, the only way I know how to engender trust and buy-in from my team & colleagues is to be 100% authentically me — open, sometimes flawed, but always passionate about our work. Doing so has made her a better leader. “It has allowed me the freedom to be fully present and consistent,” she added. “They know what they’re getting at all times. No surprises.” If a leader sets the tone for transparency — and humanity — it encourages their sub-ordinates & organizations to follow suit.
7. Support & Advocacy for Workers.
A good leader advocates for the people who work for them. They support their subordinates in high-level meetings and throughout the company in general + help their reports get promoted. “Even high-potential employees need unwavering support from their leaders to reach their ultimate career goals Leaders must take responsibility to assure these workers stay on track and help minimize any disruption that may slow down their momentum.”
On-going Training. This might require taking extra time each day to teach something new to an employee or help break down an idea or task that a worker is struggling with. Yes, it makes the worker better by helping to enhance or expand their skill set. But it also makes the team more effective as a whole, because kindness & support are the most effective ways to inspire workers to give the best of themselves to their work.
8. Persistence.
It’s inevitable: We’re going to find ourselves in some real tough situations, whether they’re costly mistakes, unexpected failures or unscrupulous enemies. Persistence is accepting and anticipating this in advance, so that you don’t react overly emotionally and aggravate things further. To train our minds, consider the worst-case scenarios and limit our unhelpful instinctual responses. That’s how we make sure bad situations don’t turn into fatal disasters. Everyone who works hard, runs into frustrating moments, tough times, awkward or difficult conversations etc. It is in those challenging moments that great Leaders stay aware of themselves, and consider the impact of their behavior. Because while quality work is rewarded in the short term, demonstrating quality character never stops paying off.
Comment: Are there any other Qualities you think a Leader should have?
from Mic Network USA 01 Mar 17 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz
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