Built or Born: Thoughts on Leadership

There are over 5000 titles on Amazon.com concerning leadership and this author is certainly too busy to read them all.  I am not a big believer in following a specific concept, or methodology that predetermines great leadership outcomes. Most of these have their merits, almost all of them are common sense, and many have breakthrough ideas and suggestions that are worthwhile. But none of them is wholly right or wrong, and most of them make leadership more complex than it has to be.

Some say that becoming a leader is indeed work. It is layer upon layer of learning, training, experience in the field.  Some say it is baptism by fire, they learned everything they know today from being thrown into the deep end. Others might say they had the benefit of great mentors and coaches along the way.  And at the same time, some leaders are definitely born with the natural tendency, will, desire and joy in leading. I haven’t met many great leaders just born to it, but I know many who worked at it, and these are a handful of attributes they all have in common.

1. They work hard, it’s that simple.

Leadership is Work.

As an executive you wear many hats. You lead, you manage (maybe a large department with hundreds of people) and there is actually a day job where you “do” stuff.  Fitting it all in is hard. How can you be a great leader when you have an operational role to fulfill and serious outcomes to deliver? The best leaders don’t separate out the two. They embed leadership into everything they do. For example, a meeting with their team - they don’t just plan the agenda, they plan for the leadership outcomes they want and need from that meeting. Or a high stakes disagreement with a peer - they assess ahead of time what a “win” looks like and what the organization needs from them in terms of leadership; do they stand their ground, compromise, what is the greater good? Or even heading to the kitchen to grab coffee - a leader charts an intentional path through the office knowing there might be a team that needs a pat on the back, an employee they need to connect with, or a situation where the simple presence of their face passing by, makes a difference. Everything you do, and choice you make has a leadership dimension. Great leaders plan and embed this into everything, as much as they plan their day.  

Leadership is work; so plan your work and work your plan, daily. 

2. They are themselves, quirks and all.

Leadership is Authentic:

You cannot be someone you are not. It goes without saying that you should probably not drop the F bomb in a customer meeting or company all hands (mostly).  Certain standards of behavior as a leader are essential. And you also have to be you. Authenticity is the single best way to win trust and signal intent, both of which are critical to achieving as a leader.

If you were to ask a few questions on the path to becoming more authentic, they would possibly be these: Who are you and do you know what authentic you looks like? Do you know how you show up to others? Do you know if you energize or deplete others? Do you know how you handle conflict? Do you know what brings the best out in you? Are you likely to gush about peoples’ accomplishments, or do you forget to appreciate people and rush to the next task? Figure this out and then ask the most important question, what about you is a great fit for leadership, and what about you is not? Because simply, you won’t ever be the perfect leader, but if you want to be a good one, you will look at ways of using your authentic self and her strengths, to be the best leader you can. Maybe it will be your sense of humor, maybe your seriousness and focus. Maybe not having a poker face helps your people identify with you. Maybe it is your empathy and compassion, your quirky hobbies or love of extreme sports. Whatever is part of you authentically, has use and value in becoming a great leader. 

Authenticity is work: Don’t be fooled that because it is organic, it doesn’t require work and structure. Knowing yourself means documenting yourself, and leading authentically means having a communication strategy to do so. 

So be the best parts of you but, be you first.

3. Great leaders listen a lot.

Leadership is Listening.

Some of the most inspiring and passionate leaders have a lot to say. They have the best energy, the loudest voice, the smartest ideas and the vision to lead. All great attributes of a good leader, but without a deep ability to listen, they don’t become a great leader.  Whether an introvert or an extrovert, listening is the superpower of all amazing leaders. They might disagree with what they have heard. They might dismiss it eventually, or they might lean in hard and ask the tough questions. The ability to listen and observe is at the heart of the multi-dimensional chess that great leaders play in their heads.

Because they aren’t just listening to the idea, the data, the proposal or the report. They are watching the group. They are watching to see if everyone is on board, or not. They are listening for nuances of confidence, concern, alternative ideas, bias, objectivity, logic, vision and imagination. They are building a total picture of what the group around the situation, feels and thinks. They are building a picture of the relationships in the moment and what those dynamics mean.

Most importantly, they are sending a message. A listening leader is the loudest message in the room - conveying critical messages to the team around them: I am present, I don’t have to be the loudest person in the room, not all my ideas are best, I am curious, I want to understand, I want to make you feel heard, I want to participate not just lead, I am a partner, I am open to various suggestions, I don’t need to hog the spotlight, I trust you to have the best intentions, your voice matters. 

At the same time the leader by signaling this behavior, regardless of the quality of the idea being spoken, or if they agree with it - the leader signals respect, courtesy and most importantly, empowers the group around them to think, to challenge, to contribute, to speak, to take ownership and take accountability. You can't be empowered if you don't feel heard, and you certainly won't take accountability if you aren't allowed to speak up and have skin in the game. Empowered people feel respected, feel accountable and that is the ultimate outcome of a leader who listens.

Shut your mouth, use your ears, open your mind and feel with your intuition: What you signal and learn as a leader when you do this, sends tidal waves of empowerment and accountability through your team.

There are many other aspects to good leadership and no blog should list them all, you can have all sorts of other skills and characteristics that make you great, but I believe that without these three you simply won’t help your teams and business achieve its full potential.  

For me it is quite simple; 

- work hard, hold the awareness that leadership is something you "do" not just acquire

- be yourself, using your own strengths and being proud of your quirks, don't mimic others, you'll get it wrong and look like a designer equivalent of a "knock off" bag

- listen to others and observe, empowering your teams with the ability to contribute and the heart then to become accountable….

#leadership, #culture