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Leadership is a team sport
Have you ever had a great leader?
Think back through your working life… picture every manager and leader you’ve had, since the first job you took in your youth right through to the leadership team that supports you where you are now.
Think about the ones you were pleased to see the back of (whether it was you or them who moved on!) and those who still inspire you today.
Can you describe what made the good ones good? Think of three words that you’d use, if someone asked you what kind of leader they were…and now, if you are already in a leadership position, or if you are aiming for one: what traits do you want to embody in that leadership role? How do you want the people you lead to describe you.
Great Leaders inspire positivity.
Some leaders are too hard on their people; controlling, so anxious to be seen to be in charge that they can’t remember how to actually connect with their teams. Others take it too far the other way – wanting so much to be liked, and to be popular with their team that they forget to…well, lead!
The world of business is always evolving, and will always do so – but the traits that made the best leaders are unshakable.
Confidence, intelligence, industry awareness and drive of course count – but these, without a balancing dose of humility, charm and compassion, could make a leader come across arrogant, rather than successful.
Every success we have at ASK is achieved because of the whole team: the same is true of any organisation. No business thrives because of the actions of one person. It takes everyone to reach the pinnacle – nobody gets to the top of their game alone, and any leader who wants others to believe that they did, and lord their unique brilliance over their workforce, won’t last long.
Leaders aren’t there to be adored – or to command. They are there to lead by example, to set the pace, guide their people, bring the entire team forward as a cohesive, collaborative whole, and drive their successes. In order to do that well, they must have the support and respect of their team – but getting those means giving those first.
Some leaders are so keen to prove that they are on top that they forget the shoulders they stand on …
What is a toxic leader?
We have all met that boss; one who takes the credit for every win, but blames anyone (if not everyone) else for every failing, and who can’t recognise or acknowledge that they have gaps in their knowledge. We all do – and success depends on the whole team working together, and on the skills that every single person there brings to make a cohesive whole – and any leader who refuses to see that is likely to cause a lot of damage.
A toxic leader chips away at the confidence and abilities of their workforce, at the success of their brand, and at the reputation of the organisation with their clients. The determination to stand atop the organisation, to be the face of the brand and be showered with accolades, can see a leader forgetting to look down at their feet, and at the bodies who are holding them up.
At the opposite end of the scale, a weak leader – one who is so keen to be liked and to be ‘nice’ that they will do anything to avoid the more difficult conversations that their position requires – can be just as damaging! A leader who can’t inspire, stretch, push, drive, improve and draw on the skills and successes of their team – and who can’t identify or challenge the failings of any team members who aren’t pulling their weight – will lose the confidence of their people. Loss of confidence leads to loss of application to the work, and these tentative leaders might see their business drift into failure.
Everyone – from the interns and cleaners to the most senior of your executive team – has an equally important role within any business, and deserves the same respect. To be a great leader you have to think about how you were previously led; learn from the experience you have with your leaders, with your workforce, and with your whole team. Don’t repeat the mistakes made by aggressive, controlling leaders from your own past – but don’t go too far the other way, and see your leadership weakened by a desire to be liked above being successful.
Great leadership is a dance! There is a line between being respected and being ‘nice’. Leadership is also a process; an evolution, growing from who you were to who you have the potential to be – and an important part of the job is helping your workforce to walk that same journey with you. All grow, but leaders should do so from the front of the crowd, carried by them without crushing them beneath the weight of your ego, and not lost among them as you battle to keep up.
If you want to be the best leader you can, and to share that excellence with your entire team, we can help. Just ASK!
Our leadership programmes help you to develop your innate talents, and support your business leaders in their ongoing journey to success. Call today on 01234 757575 or visit our Leadership Development page to download an information pack.