HOW TO BE A BETTER LEADER
The Great Leader Checklist
Consider the following list and evaluate how you think you're doing in each of the competencies.
When it comes to being a great leader, there are two core categories that are important to consider - external and internal competencies. External competencies involve a particular output, a tangible result and things that can be seen. In the list above, we include things like creating a meaningful vision, communicating effectively and cultivating talent. Each of these involve measurable results that are commonly associated with great leadership.
Let's describe each of these briefly.
People need a meaningful vision to engage with - without one, motivation is hard to create and maintain. A meaningful vision is a vision that people believe in and can get behind. One of the most important tasks a leader engages in is to create a vision that is meaningful to their team. A leader must think beyond themselves and their external stakeholders when developing a vision, they must consider their vision in relation to the people that will ultimately make the vision a reality.
Communicating effectively goes hand-in-hand with a meaningful vision - if you have a vision, but are unable to communicate it in a way that has people listen and connect with it - it doesn't do much good. Finding a consistent and purposeful way to communicate the vision internally as well as externally is a necessary requirement of great leadership. To the extent that you can stand in front of your people, share your vision, open yourself to input and continue to collaborate and connect your people with a powerful vision for the future, the higher your chances of actually getting there.
Finding and cultivating talent is likely the top leadership competency for any leader. The truth is that no leader can move things forward on their own. This makes focusing on building and coaching a team to reach its greatest potential, a critical factor to overall success. A meaningful vision and effective communication mean nothing if your talent is incorrectly deployed and insufficiently developed.
The last two external competencies are setting clear agreements and delegating. Agreements are different than expectations. Expectations are focused on a top-down approach, delivered from one person to the other and often poorly communicated. Agreements, on the other hand, are co-created between two or more people in an honest, open, clear, collaborative process. Agreements, because they are discussed and created jointly, have a much better chance of coming to be. A great leader focuses on establishing agreements, not expectations.
Lastly, delegation. Without delegation, leaders are left to do more than they should. As a leader, you must create space to think, reflect and plan which facilitates innovation and creativity - the core activity of leadership. And in order to delegate, you must have the right team in place and trust them to take on important projects. Doing it all yourself simply leads to reactivity and burnout. It's important to learn how to effectively delegate.
The second category is internal competencies, and these include things like showing empathy, building trust and leading with courage. They are harder to measure in a tangible way, however when it comes to great leadership, they make all the difference.
You can have all the external competencies covered, but if you fail to focus on building the internal competencies, it simply won't work. In fact, trust, self-awareness, empathy, mindset and courage are the fuel required for a meaningful vision to matter, for communication to resonate, for agreements to be established, talent to be attracted and retained and delegation to work. These inner competencies transform how you show up as a leader, how you're perceived and how effectively you navigate challenges and change. At a time when we are working remotely, it's these competencies that continue to pay dividends and move us forward together.
Take a few minutes and honestly evaluate how you think you're doing in each of the competencies above. Celebrate your strongest competence and continue to seek out opportunities to bring it to the forefront. Then, choose one you are inspired to focus on over the next couple of months. Think about what it will take for you to get from where you are now to the next level up? What are some things that would be happening at the next level up that are not happening now? What might I try? Why is it important that you enhance this area for you and the people you lead? Once you've taken a few minutes to brainstorm a few ideas, pick one and start incorporating it.
Leadership is an evolving process that we never ultimately "get right". We can with a growth mindset and a commitment to learn, continue to evolve, grow and develop into a leader that we ourselves would follow.
Warmly,
Lisa
Lisa is an Executive Coach, Founder & CEO of LDR Leadership Labs. For more from Lisa, join the LDR Leadership Community on LinkedIn at: www.linkedin.com/company/ldrleadershiplabs and sign up for the LDR Insiders Newsletter here.