I have been in the corporate setting for twelve years now, working in over five top companies in my industry in nearly a dozen different roles. Inevitably, in nearly each setting there has been a leader that inspired me to be better – to grow into a confident influencer that helps progress the business, and the team, further. Here are three qualities that I have noticed in each of these people.
1️⃣ Leaders Are Not Afraid of the Stage
Recently, I was in a team all hands meeting hosted by the director of our department. Dressed in his jacket and casual pants and shoes, he waited for the room to be filled, and walked to the front of the room. Rather than stand behind a podium or some other barrier or crutch, he just started speaking. Slowly, confidently and passionately, he spoke about the state of the organization and the vision for the future. He did not shy away from dialogue and going off-script. In fact, none of it was scripted. He just spoke about the key areas of interest in the open room. I took note of this. Perhaps one of the strongest examples of leadership that I have seen in a while. He didn’t command the team’s attention with over the top flare or rhetoric, but was just himself and comfortable with the stage.
2️⃣ Leaders Never Panic
Show me an example of a strong leader that has panicked when there was bad news or a huge sudden challenge to overcome. You probably cannot. This is why I believe this leadership characteristic is worth mentioning. Sure, how one responds to unfavorable events is largely driven by that person’s personality, but it is also a strong characteristic of one’s leadership.
Have you ever had a boss who you were afraid to go to with bad news because you knew they would not receive it well? While there is not much you can do as the direct report, as a leader, you can be this person. True leaders want their team to be comfortable sharing the good and the bad, trusting that the leader will not “shoot the messenger.” Of course, we expect the team to bring solutions, but we would never want the team to hesitate to share with us the true state of affairs. Leaders never panic.
3️⃣ Leaders Build Teams
True organizational leaders build teams with capabilities greater than theirs. Rather than feel threatened by comparative advantage, they welcome it. They actively seek out team members who are better, more knowledgeable, faster at key areas. Why? So that they can leverage those skills and use them to complement their own skills.
Taken further, leaders celebrate the differences on their team and promote and praise those whose approaches and strategies yield true results. In other words, they do not micromanage the “how” things are done, empowering the team to come up with their own plan to deliver results. Organizational leaders are strong team builders.
Observe
Take note of the above characteristics and examine whether they are prominent in the leadership that you admire within your organization. If you do not see this leadership (and regardless of whether you do), become this leader in your circle, team and department. Those around you will appreciate it.
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