Leaders are made, not born. Of course, some leaders have natural ability, natural charisma, they may be extroverts, charming, enchanting. But that doesn’t mean they know how to effectively lead a group of people. When I work with business owners, a common area they are looking to develop is leadership. Business owners intuitively are driven to make effective decisions to make their business successful, but they aren’t always effective in translating these skills to their employees. Coaching helps bridge this communication gap.
When you think about it, leadership encompasses many things, and most, if not all of us, have no training on the dimensions of leadership. But we can learn and most importantly, we can adjust accordingly, depending on what group you are leading.
There are 17 definitions of ‘lead’ on dictionary.com, I just picked three of them I thought were the most relevant to leading an organization and/or business:
When you think about it, leadership encompasses many things, and most, if not all of us, have no training on the dimensions of leadership. But we can learn and most importantly, we can adjust accordingly, depending on what group you are leading.
There are 17 definitions of ‘lead’ on dictionary.com, I just picked three of them I thought were the most relevant to leading an organization and/or business:
- to go before or with to show the way; conduct or escort
- to influence or induce; cause
- to guide in direction, course, action, opinion, etc.
When it comes to being a good leader, it’s important to bring your own finesse into it. In my experience, there are 14 key qualities a leader can bring to the table. Listing these qualities brings clarity and solidifies expectation. Often when we NAME our action, it’s better understood and clearer to others:
- Problem solving
- Looking ahead
- Understanding your crew
- Open to feedback and constructive criticism
- A willingness to be uncomfortable
- A willingness and ability to make hard decisions
- Social intelligence
- Zest for change
- Vision for what things will be
- Listening skills
- Sensitivity to others
- Integrity
- Ability to stay focused when the going gets tough
- Face your own stuff, acknowledge your weaknesses. Be real.
It’s one thing to know the direction the ship is supposed to go, right? But what is your crew up to? Are they working their best? Are they looking to you as a great leader? Are they invested in your vision? Do they respond to you with enthusiasm and respect?
HOMEWORK
Choose one of the 14 leadership qualities above and discuss with one of your employees (or at a business meeting with several employees). Ask them the following: What does that quality mean to them? In what ways do they demonstrate it in their role? In what ways could they bring it out more? In what ways do they see it demonstrated in you as their leader? In others? These simple questions will likely bring out a lively and interesting discussion.
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