“There are three things extremely hard - Steel, a Diamond, and to know one’s self,” wrote Benjamin Franklin in the 1750 edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack.
As
a leader you might have many roles viz. create strategies, manage resources,
and inspire your team. You may be good at a few or all of these aspects to some
extent. For example, having a strategic mindset, delivering profits, and having
an executive presence are all attractive qualities for a leader. While these
attributes are expected from most leaders and business executives, it is
critical to develop specific traits that characterize effective and exceptional
leaders.
Effective
leaders simplify complexity and bring clarity
Good
leaders manage to thrive in the chaos of the ever-changing world. Simplifying
complexities is one of the paradoxes that
leaders and executives have to embrace and handle. They can distill the complexity
and create easily understandable and actionable steps that their team members
can quickly take on. Great leaders have a clear vision of where they want to
take their business, team, or product and can shed light on the strategy to
reach there.
Effective
leaders prioritize a few critical aspects and persistently communicate them
Many
leaders, even the good ones, fall into the trap of trying to accomplish too
many things at the same time. Thus, prioritizing becomes an important trait of
exceptional leaders. Upon identifying the top three or four priorities, they
persistently communicate these priorities to their teams and inspire them to
relentlessly pursue them. Moreover, by prioritizing a few critical aspects,
they provide a simple plan for achieving these objectives. And the ability to
devise a simple plan that will ensure victory is what will increase your
leadership effectiveness. By doing so, outstanding leaders can genuinely
inspire their teams to achieve the shared goals.
Effective
leaders contribute across the entire organization rather than their individual
silos
One
of the issues many companies face is that their leaders rely only on their
immediate team members, perceiving the others as their competition. They fail
to understand that they are a part of a much bigger machinery and structure.
This behavior weakens the company and steers the focus away from the
ultimate goal of positioning the company high on the marketplace.
A way for leaders to overcome this type of mindset is to modify detrimental behavior and discipline themselves. The ‘we’ that we believe we are a part of is the entire organization, instead of a small team. This will be characterized by getting out of our comfort zone and learning to be comfortable operating outside of our area of expertise. Moreover, great team leaders can play well on teams they don't lead. The most effective leaders will see their portion of the business as an integral component of the entire organization and thereby maintain a broader perspective.
Effective
leaders operate on a strategic level rather than on tactical aspects
Outstanding
leaders dedicate more time to strategic conversations with their team members.
Instead of focusing on the tactical maneuvering of their teams, true leaders
contribute to the strategic elements.
The opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills are endless. Even relocating to new offices is a chance for leaders to help employees transition to the new premises, keep their spirits up, and let them feel motivated and involved.
Effective
leaders foster learning agility and build more leaders
There
are two types of business executive and managers:
1. Those who use their
team members as a means for their own advancement.
2. Those who see the
potential in their team members and develop them further.
Discerning which one of these two types a particular executive or manager belongs to is not always easy. However, a leader's track record will unambiguously show whether they build leaders or exploit the people who work for them. If an employee or manager has taken on extra responsibility after working for a particular leader, it will be a clear indicator that this leader has groomed and mentored her/ him. People who quickly rise through ranks in an organization often have bosses who have had their back and have looked out for their best interests. This trait is vital to increase your leadership effectiveness.
Having a leader who builds more leaders is excellent for an organization for several reasons. Firstly, they are more likely to groom and develop individuals who differ from themselves. This leads to an increase in cognitive diversity. Secondly, such leaders can create high-performing teams that readily explore new avenues and take on additional initiatives to spur growth. Furthermore, their teams will be excellent at challenging the status quo and disrupting the outdated norms. Consequently, they will foster innovation and long-term capital development.
Leaders
are made, not born!
When
we talk about habits or traits for increasing leadership effectiveness, it's
important to note that these qualities in leaders are typically made, and not
inbred at birth. So, while we expect leaders to be charismatic visionaries,
these traits usually develop as they rise through the ranks and assume more
challenging roles. As businesses today demand a continual improvement in
performance, emotional agility and behavior adaptation are essential traits for
a leader’s growth and impact.
