Leadership. That is the one big thing I always get asked about time and time again.
Whether it’s how to become a good leader or it’s people who are leaders and they want to continue to develop those skills. So today, I’m going to share with you my top tips for not good, but great leadership.
Now, first up, the clues in the title, right? The job of a leader is to lead. So it’s really essential that as a leader, you have a really clear direction of travel and a vision of where you want to end up.
That might sound really simple, but it’s often the case that so many people out there are really focused on the next task in front of them rather than the overall objectives.
Now, that can be a really good thing because they tend to be really focused on the job at hand, but to be a good leader, you need to be able to see both the task at hand and also have sight of the final destination.
The second attribute of a good leader is confidence. Having confidence is infectious. And if the person that you are following is confident, it also gives confidence to all of those who are following along.
But real confidence is almost impossible to fake. So as a leader, you absolutely must believe in the project, the task and the direction of your company.
It’s often been said, you can create a feeling in others, but you can’t do that if you don’t feel it yourself. So in short, confidence comes from the belief that leaders have, so you must believe.
Now, the third attribute great leaders possess is the ability to listen.
Let’s take that in for a second. I can’t stress enough that a leader that doesn’t listen will soon lose their followers and they won’t be the leader, they’ll have outliers. Great leaders not only listen but they are also seen to be listening by their peers. They create a rapport, a connection between themselves and their teams.
The best leaders use the information that they’ve gathered and weave it into their stories, blending the detail of the individuals involved into the strategy of that big picture.
I’ve witnessed some amazing leaders in action. One in particular had a factory employing over 3000 staff. And as they walked through this huge facility, they took time to speak with numerous individuals. They addressed them all warmly, said hello by their first names and the impact of this was huge. The connection and loyalty of their staff was completely obvious.
He was a leader that knew the importance of remembering the details. Something as simple as names, it’s so important, while still maintaining clear focus on the overall strategy.
Now it goes without saying that with leadership comes great responsibility. So my fourth essential characteristic as a good leader is their willingness to take responsibility.
Weak leaders are all too good at taking the praise, but they apportion blame when things go wrong.
In contrast to this, good leaders are really generous with their praise and they’re willing to take on responsibility for failures. They are prepared to face the music, whether that’s talking to the press, speaking to unhappy customers or taking the flak for quality issues.
They inspire respect because they’re looking to place the blame elsewhere and not make someone a scapegoat. And, they’re prepared to stand up for what they believe in and take the heat because that’s what good leaders do.
Now finally, the best leaders are the ones who can empower their teams.
A good leader categorically encourages their people. They celebrate initiative, reward hard work and they develop their teams to be the best they can be. Far from weakening their position, their willingness to empower others underlies their confidence.
Now at this point, I want to really make clear and underline the difference between delegating and abdicating right. Because good leaders empower others and remain supportive of their efforts while bad leaders abdicate and abandon.
So let’s summarise everything that I’ve talked about. First, have a good sense of direction and a really clear vision for both the short and the long term. Next, have confidence in what you, your company and your people are able to achieve as a collective. Number three, listen to your people and be seen to listen to them.
Remember to take responsibility. One of the greatest things we can do as leaders is to hold our hands up when a mistake’s been made and accept responsibility for those failings as opposed to pointing fingers.
And lastly, remember to empower your teams. Encourage them to do great things and then reward them for the hard work because honestly, we are nothing without our people.
I just want to add that while I’ve sat here and talked about what makes a great leader, it’s worth remembering that leadership isn’t for everyone and not everybody can be a leader.
It’s a hard thing to hear sometimes but don’t think that by being an entrepreneur, you automatically must be a leader because that’s not true.
If leadership isn’t for you, then you need to go out and find your leaders. Help them to develop and allow them to lead because that in itself, is the greatest gift that you can offer them.