Lately I’ve been struggling with what makes a great leader. Are you born a leader or is it developed over time? Are the merits of a leader the respect of his/her team or their accomplishments? By what standards do we qualify someone as a leader?
Whether I was working under a great or poor leader or leading a team of my own, I have kept a watchful eye on the styles of leadership and what I’ve found/seen to be effective.
These are the lessons I have learned on leadership:
Create Ownership:
Leadership isn’t about your personal win or taking all the credit for a winning project. Leadership is about allowing your team to tackle projects by using their diverse background(s) and gifts to complete the task. My objective shouldn’t be to create work-a-bees or “yes” men. I need to find a balance between driving my agenda and definitions of a project and allowing individuals to utilize/express their gifts and talents even if it is in a way that is unconventional to me. Although I may be ultimately responsible for the outcome of a project or as task, I may not always be right in how a project should be done.
Opportunity: Have team members pick their area of ownership and take responsibility for it. Set goals and a time frame then participate with them not as boss but as contributor.
Build Community:
At a minimum of five days per week and eight hours per day, I am asking someone to partner with me to help accomplish the objectives and goals of my company or organization. With nearly half of the week spent working, I need to create opportunities for community because, in general, a person is more likely to produce results when they feel connected to their environment and their teammates.
Opportunity: Holiday parties and get-togethers are just half of it, how can we design our environment to foster relationships? Self expression is key (Think of Etsy’s office) and having an area where your team can take breaks that doesn’t resemble a doctor’s waiting office is a great start!
Actively Listen:
I recently completed a certificate in professional writing and for a large percentage of one of the classes we talked about the challenge of delivering bad news in writing. As much as you would like to always say “yes” in leadership you are often required to say “no” to disappointed teammates. The key to writing a successful “no” letter was making it clear you took the time to hear what was said, looked into the problem carefully and unfortunately this (“no”) was the conclusion . The reason why this is so key is because when someone is receiving this bad news if they feel you heard what they had to say, the rejection has less of a burn.
Another reason to actively listen is to learn what the person is really saying. Between all of the words, what is the bottom line? We are creatures of purpose and everything we do or say is our attempt to accomplish some kind of agenda or personal goal. What is your client, boss, assistant really saying? The majority of the time there is more to the story and if we can listen and work to gain understanding we can get on the same page a lot sooner. It is amazing if you begin to actively listen what you can learn from another person too!
Opportunity: Instead of formulating a response when in a conversation, listen to what is being said. A short pause before giving a response never hurt anyone!
Stay Positive:
Did you know, you can deliver bad news, you can say something needs improvement, you can even tell someone you hate their work… It is just how you say it. By paying attention to your syntax and the connotation of your words, you will find immediate improvement. It isn’t about being everyone’s friend or filling your language with fluff but removing the heated language from our vocabulary. Also, I’m a problem solver so when something doesn’t work out, instead of being negative I immediately start looking for a new solution. If I stay in an attitude of negativity I am creating an environment of hostility.
Opportunity: Watch your words and also any passive aggressive statements.
