What kind of leader are you?

In each of our careers we have experienced terrible, good and, sometimes if we were lucky, great leaders. These people had a great impact on our careers and also on our lives. 

Think for a moment about who was the worst manager you ever had?

 

You probably remember him or her.  He or she was the manager that made you really question your role in the company. You might have felt small, unappreciated, overwhelmed by office politics, unsupported, overlooked, stressed, overworked, frustrated, belittled, angry, hurt, disappointed, insecure… Do any of these sounds familiar?

 

However many of these managers were trying to do the best that they could. They may have been struggling in a new role, or maybe they just did not understand the role of leadership and their impact on their team. Often people are promoted into management and leadership roles without fully understanding the different skill sets required to be successful. The so called “Peter Principle” where people rise to their level of incompetence can be seen in many organisations.  People fail simply because they do not recognise or develop the different skills required at the next level.

 

Now think about the best manager or leader you ever had.

 

Do you remember what it was like working with him or her?

The feeling of being part of a high performing motivated team

The energy that was created in your colleagues and in the company

The feeling that your contribution was important and was recognised

Wanting to go to work as the work your were doing mattered and was fun

The feeling that you were creating something special

 

Now think carefully about yourself and your own leadership style. Where do you think you fit between these two extremes? Where do you want to fit?

 

If we look at leadership there are many different domains or aspects that combine to define our personal style.  Often we may be strong in some areas, but face challenges in others. For example

We may be great at getting things done, but not so good at delegating and empowering our teams.

We may have an incredible strategic vision, but be unable to communicate that and get the buy in from our peers or those at other levels in our company (above and below).

When we are under stress it may leak out, causing fear or uncertainty in our colleagues.

We may find it difficult to hold people accountable without micro managing them.

 

I believe that one of the keys to becoming a better leader is self-awareness – being aware of your strengths and of the areas where you are challenged, actively choosing how you want to grow, and then taking the necessary steps to make it happen.

 

Some of the leadership domains to consider are:

• Self-Management

your personal awareness, self-regulation, stress management, resilience, transparency and authenticity. Successful self-management requires management of yourself and taking care of your brand and reputation.

• Relationship Management

your ability to achieve better results through better relationships. It is about getting along with others in order to get ahead. Successful relationship management requires recognition that your own level of performance relies on the performance of your team, which in turn relies on their engagement.

• Tactical and Operational

your experience, capability, efficiency and ability to consistently deliver great results. Success in this area can involve smarter prioritization of work, more delegation, better time management and more effective goal setting.

• Leadership & Strategy

how you lead by example, how you add extra value through innovation and strategic planning, as well as how you build motivated, accountable teams. Success in this area can involve long-term planning to achieve competitive advantage and delivering results through high-performing cultures.

 

Being a true leader is not easy, but the rewards are immense.

 

Do you want to be remembered as someone who made your people feel small, or someone who inspired them to become greater than they ever thought they could be?

 

What kind of leader are you? What kind do you want to be?

Enjoy your journey

…..Chrys