I have read many books and articles about leadership over the last couple of years. In addition, I have attended webinars and workshops on culture change. I have observed leaders and tried to understand what they get right. Mastery of strategy and execution is essential to sustain a business. And leadership mastery is vital to sustaining the people who help businesses succeed. Everything I have learned about leadership boils down to just the following simple practices:
1. Practice compassion. Treat people like human beings irrespective of circumstance — when hiring, praising, giving critical feedback, and letting go.
2. Practice non-judgment, but be prepared to judge (i.e., evaluate) as objectively as possible when appropriate.
3. Practice stepping out of your comfort zones. It is possible to achieve financial success while staying within one’s comfort zone, but the growth path involves venturing away from what comes easily to us.
4. Practice observing and understanding before acting. The 5 W’s (and one H) are your friends, as are the 5 Whys. The 5 W’s (and one H) are: who, what, when, where, why, and how. The 5 whys is a technique of asking why multiple times to dig to the root cause of a particular event or problem.
5. Practice humor. Contextual humor that laughs at oneself and at situations without making fun of people is hard to do. However, when done well, it is a great way to break the ice, defuse tense situations, and engage audiences.
6. Practice accountability. Take responsibility for mistakes. Apologizing without making or appearing to make excuses is a skill that does not come naturally to most people, but it helps save relationships and improves mutual respect.
7. Practice candid communication – with large audiences, small groups, and individuals. Until you develop a sense of what amount of communication is suitable for your team, over-communicating is better than under-communicating. Candor without bluntness and rudeness is a skill worth developing.
8. Practice difficult conversations. Difficult conversations are emotionally charged conversations with significant disagreement in the context of high stakes for one or both parties. Delaying talking about unresolved emotionally charged issues lies at the heart of passive-aggressive behavior and all drama.
9. Practice humility. The most significant personal risk of leadership is the tendency to make leaders more narcissistic. While healthy self-esteem and confidence are necessary to succeed, narcissism is not worth the price. And narcissism never stays contained at work. Instead, it bleeds into a leader’s personal life.
10. Practice gratitude. Everyone who can be a good leader doesn’t get the chance to be in a formal leadership role. For those with such positions, it’s essential to be grateful for the opportunity to improve lives while improving their lot.
[Picture credit: Mohamed_Hassan at Pixabay]
