A Quick Self-Audit: Are You a Great Leader?
Posted by R J on July 25th, 2019
The perfect leader doesn't exist. There are only effective ones, successfully helping their people and organizations thrive. How are they able to do it? Some grow as excellent leaders through mentoring and coaching; others learn the tricks from the best at a Global Leadership Summit.
Your path may be different from theirs, but who knows? You may already be sharing the same leadership traits. Read on and do some self-auditing to find out.
Genuine Enthusiasm
Have you ever called out a friend for fake-laughing at one of your bad jokes? People, in general, know insincerity when they see it.
Just like you, employees can easily spot insincere enthusiasm. The only difference is that they won't always call you out on it. You'll just notice how annoyed they are in subtle ways. Sooner or later, meetings will be filled with awkward smiles, automatic nods, and passive-aggressive banter.
You see, when it comes to showing enthusiasm, you receive what you give. Team members can't be excited about a project if their leaders don't appear truly passionate about it.
Remember, emotions and attitude are contagious. This is true even in global leadership, where one manages people from different parts of the world. Be sure to show the right ones next time you meet with your team.
Decisiveness
The only thing worse than leaders who make bad, impulsive decisions are those who can't decide at all. An indecisive leader gets the team nowhere.
Everyone has been in a meeting where people just throw ideas around like a hot potato. The leader, aiming to involve all members of the team, simply waits for each member to provide their feedback. The result is an unnecessarily long conference. While asking everyone's opinion can be helpful in handling issues that will affect the entire team, the lack of an agenda or clear brainstorming structure makes the process time-consuming and unproductive.
As a leader, you sometimes have to take risks and make crucial decisions on behalf of your team, with their best interests in mind. You’re not always going to nail it, but if you take the time to explain to them why you made the choice you did, and how it benefits them the most, they’ll get on board.
Courage
Things don't always go as planned. After all, there's no guarantee that your plans will work all the time, regardless of how good your intentions are. Even so, you still have to think outside the box and willingly make bold decisions for your people. And whatever happens, hold yourself accountable.
One last reminder: You may learn from your fellow leaders at your organization or a Global Leadership Summit, but nothing beats listening closely to your team's needs. Before you try the approaches recommended by mentors and coaches, get to know your people and identify their concerns first. That's the ideal starting point in coming up with action plans and strategies.
