In today’s flat world so closely interconnected by social media and 24 hour news cycles, leaders are always visible and they come in many shapes and sizes. Further, because there are so many areas of expertise, even more splintered by demographics and communities it is good to reflect on the values and traits of good leaders as we historically understand or understood them.
Bear in mind that some people lead from behind, while others lead from in front. Additionally, many people lead very effectively from the middle because they can understand the plight of others and empathize with the experience of their tribe. The fact is leaders find solutions, and can be found everywhere! How do you lead?
Lets evaluate if or how leadership has changed or been affected by speed to market and a need to quickly close transactions while sustaining a viable business:
- Do you make others feel important?
- Do you promote and enthusiastically share a vision of business goals and objectives so that others understand and can contribute to them?
- Do you set reasonable or unreasonable expectations for team members? Do you make adequate provisions for alternative scenarios?
- Do you follow the golden rule, treating others the way you want to be treated?
- Do you admit and correct mistakes, even when it is not comfortable to do so? Can you work with dissension while fostering an environment that allows the truth, or the best resolution to surface organically?
- Do you praise others publicly, but are you also willing to communicate criticism or a different perspective when needed?
- Do you criticize privately so that you do not embarrass, or lose the opportunity to foster a team member’s chance for personal growth?
- Can you resist the temptation to gossip or diminish those who may be wired differently than you?
- Are you open and visible to other people and their talents so that they learn from you and you from them?
- Are you curious about nuanced distinctions and opportunities that not only make things work, but could make them perform more effectively and even to competitive business advantage?
- Can you collaborate with others while making a game of competition?
- Can you set clear team goals, yet be flexible enough to make adjustments, recognizing and rewarding excellence when peers exceed preset standards, that is without undermining them?
- Do you avoid the temptation to diminish others or put them down because they may excel, or be better at a particular task than you are?
- Can you genuinely give and receive a compliment without resentment or sarcasm?
In your view have these values changed or do they still matter? Let us know what you think.
*** Updated, previously published 2/11/19
