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Learn the qualities of a true business leader
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Published: August 10, 2008
This past week, Coach Dave and I were discussing and preparing for a leadership workshop we have coming up. After a few minutes, we started reminiscing about the good old days and those great leaders in business we worked under, learned from and saw great things from. After a few minutes we both decided then and there this week's article should be about what we both experienced over the years and seldom see anymore: great leadership. I know you might not believe it, but true leadership, especially in the business world in our opinion, is rare — very rare.
How could we make such a statement? Well 53-plus years of combined experience at the senior level watching individuals who claimed to be business leaders actually make fools of themselves. Oh, it's common now with all the media coverage, since the Enron thing, but we used to watch in horror as people with no real backgrounds or experience leading anything — let alone companies or other people — went at it. In reality most were second- or third- generation business owners or had gotten where they were through the system that's unfortunately still in place in too many companies today (the good old boy network). So we started discussing and writing down everything we know about real leaders and presto, our article for this week. Also if you want to be one, (yes leaders aren't born in our opinion.) pay attention, learn and then take action.
Let's start by asking "What does a business leader look like, sound like and do?" There is no one perfect mold. Great leaders come in all shapes, sizes, voices and styles. However, great leaders share a common outcome — they oversee getting important things done!
While leadership is hard to define, you know it when you see it, feel it and hear it. An effective leader creates clarity about where the business is headed and how each team member can contribute to the cause. Such clarity helps reduce confusion and wasted actions and energy. Clarity also helps employees make better decisions within established boundaries.
Additionally, a leader motivates and inspires individuals to work together optimally as a team for a common cause or vision. A real leader pulls others along rather than push others around. Leadership is about communicating, not shouting out commands. You cannot coerce people to follow you for long. Command-and-control leadership never earns the hearts, minds and will of others.
To help you develop a solid foundation of knowledge, Dave and I put together a few fundamental leadership practices:
A leader creates clarity of purpose & direction by:
n Knowing exactly where the company is going and why;
n Developing and articulating a compelling vision for the business;
n Selling the benefits of this vision to employees with facts, emotions, stories, symbols, etc.;
n Establishing direction, strategies, and objectives for the company;
n Establishing clear expectations for all individuals;
n Developing processes to hold employees accountable for getting results;
n Encouraging individuals to work as a team;
n Elevating the needs of the team over the needs of the individual;
n Setting standards, monitoring performance and giving honest feedback;
n Reminding everyone the business exists to serve and satisfy customers as well as to earn a healthy profit; and
n Influencing the thoughts, feelings and behavior of employees.
A Leader Creates the Right Conditions (climate, culture) for Success by:
n Being a true leader (CEO), not another employee — taking the time to think, plan, see the big picture, and solve problems;
n Allowing others to do their jobs, not micromanaging them;
n Allowing employees to share ideas and in the decision-making process — avoiding command-and-control leadership;
n Getting others to believe in themselves and the vision of the company;
n Getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus;
n Maintaining open and honest communication; being open to positive and negative feedback;
n Helping the company to face reality — the good, the bad and the ugly;
n Accepting 100 percent responsibility for the results of the business; and
n Driving out fear of mistakes; encouraging experimentation and innovation.
A company without a leader is like a sports team without a head coach and without a game plan. Both scenarios will result in players (employees) doing their own selfish thing, running around without a purpose, with no sense of accountability, making repeated mistakes, posting lackluster performance and most likely losing the game.
Most businesses don't need more employees or defensive linemen; it needs an in-charge head coach. Leaders let the employees do the daily "blocking and tackling." Leaders create the vision, game plan and then let the employees play the game. Leaders then coach from the sidelines, they do not get in the trenches — because they would lose vision of the whole field.
Looking for a real leader or want to be one? Then look and act like one who is focused on creating the clarity and conditions described above and you'll either find a leader or start on the road to being one.
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