20 Habits of
Highly Successful and Effective Leaders
Effective leadership is the difference between
mediocrity and greatness
About
six months ago I wrote and article on the 20 Habits of
Highly Unsuccessful Leaders which proved to be
very popular, over half a million views and shares. Which got me wondering what
do people want to know most. What to do, or what not to do when it comes
to leading.
Both,
I believe, are valuable teaching tools and learning aids. So in the interest of
balance here are my thoughts on the top 20 habits of highly
successful leaders that help drive engagement and deliver
amazing results.
1. Leverage the knowledge within their teams
They know that the reason that they have been
put in charge is to get the best out of the resources in their team. So when it
comes to deciding strategy, solving problems, or resolving issues, they look to
identify the best resources available to get to a solution quickly. They
understand that leading is not about providing all the answers, it's about
ensuring the best answer is found and implemented.
2. Respond, rather than react
Great leaders have great emotional
intelligence, and they understand that emotional responses, knee-jerk reactions
don't lead to the best outcomes. They are in control of their emotions and can
consider all of the information and make the right decisions, the best decision
not just an emotional decision.
3. Take smart risks
They understand the difference between a safe
bet and a wild bet. They know that fortune favors the bold, but they also know
that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
Creating a culture of smart-taking ensure
stable growth, more positive outcomes, and it helps to build confidence.
4. They know that actions speak louder than
words
If you want to know what someone truly
believes don't listen to what they say, watch what they do. Leadership defines
culture, but it does so by setting the example and living the desired culture
on a daily basis, not by just posting a Vision and Values on the company
website.
A vision spoken, but not lived, is a vision that quickly dies.
A vision spoken, but not lived, is a vision that quickly dies.
5. Focus on finding solutions not someone to
blame
Blame is never the solution to an operational
problem, a customer concern or any issue that crops up in business. Blame is a
diversionary tactic and one that eats away at the effectiveness and
efficiencies of teams. Good leaders look to solve problems first, then do the
root-cause analysis to ensure that the chance of the issue repeating is
mitigated.
Most customers don't care who's at fault;
they just want their issue resolving!
6. Are Confident Not Arrogant
There is a big difference between confidence
and arrogance; the former helps build trust in the leader, the latter destroys
it. Great leaders are confident in their abilities to deliver, but share the
credit for the successes with others.
7. Ensure that enough planning is done before
work starts
If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.
Great leaders know this, and they also understand the need for urgency, but
they never jeopardize the chance of success by ignoring the planning. Great
leaders find a way to slow things down, to take a step back and ensure that
their teams are focused on the right things, and understand what needs to be
done to be successful before rushing in.
8. Hire the best people available
Leadership is not about being the best person
in the team; it's about hiring the best people, assembling the best team and
delivering the best results. Great leaders know this, and they have the
confidence to hire people who are more knowledgeable and skillful than they
are. They don't feel the need to be the best at everything. I know when I was
leading teams that if I was the most knowledgeable person on every topic, then
the team was in big trouble.
Hire smart, hire the smartest.
9. Focus on sustainable success
This doesn't mean that they avoid quick win.
No, they understand the benefits that they can have in building momentum. But
they do understand that the best success is long-term sustainable success,
which requires the buy-in of the teams, it can also take time and effort to
achieve, but that it's worth it in the long run. Great leaders leave a legacy
of continuing success which continues even after their departure.
10. They know the devil is in the detail
Leadership is about big picture thinking,
about setting the vision and direction for the team, the organization or the
company. But once that's done, then there is the need to figure out the how,
how will this success be achieved, and that requires the team, and often the
leader to get down into the weeds. Leaders can't just remain big picture people
if they want to achieve success.
The devil is in the detail, and these devils
need to be identified and addressed.
11. Focus strengths, outsource their
weaknesses
Great leaders know that they don't need to do
everything and that for the areas that they are weak, they can delegate that
work, or get support from the team. They know that they have been hired because
of their strengths and they focus on using these strengths to benefit their
organization. They are also confident enough to be vulnerable and show their
weaknesses and get support rather than to cover them up or try and hide them.
12. Determined but flexible
Knowing when to change tack is an important
skill. It's great to be persistent and consistent but beating your head against
a wall is never going to bring the rewards.
Great leaders remain fixed in their goals but
flexible in how they achieve them.
13. Play well with others
Leadership is about getting the best out of
all of the available resources, and to do this leader need to be great at
relationship building and working well with others. Great leaders leverage
their networks, and they also know that this is a two-way street providing
support to their network when needed to ensure that it will be there in their
time of need.
14. Understand the power of recognition
What gets recognized gets repeated, and great
leaders understand this and look to build a culture of recognition. They know
that it starts with them, and they take the time to send personal notes, give
words of encouragement and praise people in public.
The more we praise, the better the team we
raise.
15. Share credit
Leaders set direction and define that
strategy, but it's the teams that deliver the results. Yes, the leaders were
influential and instrumental, but they understand the role of the team and give
them the lions share of the credit. Great leaders know that they will receive
credit without having to take it, they know that reflected glory from their
team is just as valid and important.
16. Quick to praise, slow to criticize
Mistakes happen, people learn from them, and
any organization looking to grow needs to have leaders who can create a safe
environment which nurtures talent. When you're quick to criticize, especially
in public, it kills growth and discourages others not just the person being
criticized.
17. Laser focused
When everything is a priority, nothing is a
priority. Leadership is about helping to keep your teams focused on the goals,
keeping their eyes on the prize and minimizing distractions. To do this leaders
need to be laser focused because if they become distracted, then the
organization becomes distracted.
18. Hold themselves accountable
There are a million and one reasons why
things don't work out as planned, but good leaders know that the buck stops
with them. They don't make excuses; they look for the reasons why things didn't
go well and then look to fix them. They hold themselves to higher standards
than they hold their teams and look to be role models for accountability which
encourages their teams to take ownership, which has a positive impact on
results and outcomes.
19. Don't micro-manage
Micro-management is a sign of weak
leadership, a lack of trust in the team, and can hinder the performance of the
team. You need to give clear direction, set clear expectations and then give
your teams to the room to be successful.
It's ok to ask for updates, but daily, and
even worse hourly updates, just undermine the confidence of the staff and your
credibility as a leader.
20. Practice consistency
There is nothing more destabilizing to a team
that a boss who is inconsistent. I know I had the luxury of working for one for
several years. What was accepted as a good quality one day would be ridiculed
as poor quality the next. This created doubts in the minds of the team which
then led to delays while teams sought perfection, or caused them to hesitate
and make mistakes. Great leaders look to build confidence in their team's
abilities, and one of the best ways to do this is through practicing
consistency.
If you're looking to be a great leader the
more you can adopt these habits and work them into your leadership DNA the
better the leader you will become and the better the results you will delive
By Gordon
Tredgold
http://www.inc.com/gordon-tredgold/20-habits-of-highly-successful-and-effective-leaders.html
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