There are so many books out there to read on leadership and, when studied and quoted to excess, may belittle the intent, isolate others and miss the point altogether. There is little more annoying than a small group, bumping elbows and knowingly and insularly braying loudly about the value of ‘change in their pocket’ without teaching, sharing or including others in the context. IYKYK.
Leadership books work well when used to compliment leadership styles rather than attempt to usurp servant leadership altogether through basic memorization combined with little action.
And a leader has to do, to be. Reading and throwing around jargon isn’t enough. Most of us can read; few of us do the things.
Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes, however at its core, there are three basic traits that help retain employees, drive engagement and deliver excellent results. No need to overthink the basics. Keep it simple.
Transparency
Transparency builds trust. If a leader shows themselves time and time again with honesty, authenticity and frankness, trust grows. A transparent leader might not always say what you want to hear, but they will keep you up to speed on what you need to know.
In leadership, transparent communication is rarely the easiest path. It’s easier to keep everyone smiling while pushing missteps under every rug. Until it isn’t.
If being open and honest is uncomfortable for you, do it anyway. It never hurts to preface a tough conversation with exactly that, “This is going to be a tough conversation, but let’s get through it together.”
Communication
Everyone believes they know their audience. Oftentimes communication methodology is created based on what one feels confident they know about the environment. In almost all instances, leaders don’t communicate enough with useful information and a demeanor that welcomes feedback and opposing points of view.
Weekly email newsletters, online headlines via an internal portal, routine face-to-face opportunities to give and receive feedback, targeted text messages, team meetings – far too many companies pick one or two communication pathways, assuming more would be bothersome and that if staff don’t read their emails, that’s on them.
There is no point in communicating if few are listening. You should never pick and choose a single communication vehicle. The way is ‘every way’, ‘often’ and ‘engaging’. You might find a particular delivery method that works for months until suddenly it stops being as effective. Always keep you ear to the ground to discover what is working, how your communication is being received and perceived and, not least of all, what might work better.
Finding a communication sweet spot is always trial and error.
Influence
Rather than mandate, or follow along, or quietly detach, influence has a much greater reach. However, developing your own art of influence is not easy. It’s important to begin where you are. Not where you think you are; where you are.
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic shares, “80% of people think they are better-than-average leaders.” This statistic is in direct conflict with Apollo Technical’s reality that, “More than 77 % of organizations report that leadership is lacking.” Yikes. As a leader, it’s not enough to make assumptions about your effectiveness as a leader. For that, you must listen. And embrace. And work on yourself. Repeat.
Once you have crafted influence, use to for good and support will increase exponentially. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes and, boom, back to the beginning for you.
The 3 basics
Transparency, communication, influence.
As a leader, these are starting points. Basics. Uncomfortable for many to embrace and emulate, yet necessary for successful outcomes that build up a strong, engaged, dedicated workforce. It’s common knowledge that people leave jobs as a result of poor management. It’s time to invest in engaging, retaining and growing today’s strongest staff. Poor leadership won’t get you there.
Read the full article here
