This week we are going to discuss 5 Things Great Leaders Do.
Remember, leadership is the practice of creating an exciting vision, motivating and inspiring others to follow, guiding a team to fulfill the vision and continuing to build and coach teams for the future.
So here are 5 Things Great Leaders Do:
A Vision
Good leaders create a vision, mission and values that guide their organization. However, great leaders take this a few steps further to make sure that everyone, from the top to the bottom, knows the vision, mission and values of the organization. These great leaders are dynamic, exciting and inspiring and paint a picture of the future, so compelling and convincing, and with so much passion that they build a purpose larger than the product or service they are providing. Think Steve Jobs, he did not go around saying Apple was a computer company or a technology company, he said – We are here to challenge the status quo, we just happen to make computers.
Build and Coach a Team
A great leader builds and coaches an effective team for the purpose of the vision. Whether we are talking about a sports team or a company, these leaders have to identify the skills needed to accomplish the tasks ahead, identify the right players, and engage & develop the team to get optimum results. A key component in this process is motivating and inspiring people to engage with and make the vision their own. Here is a quote from Vince Lombardi that sums it up:
Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
Change Dynamically and Adjust
Great leaders take others where they would not have gone by themselves and have a unique ability to “look around corners”, anticipate changes and keep their organizations ahead of the curve. They think proactively – looking for opportunities, problems to be solved and not being satisfied with the status quo.
Develop Relationships and Value Results
Great leaders also value relationships and results. It is very difficult to get results without followers, so it is important to have influence, develop relationships and build a following. Additionally, great leaders have high expectations, set clear goals and have a high level of accountability – they expect to win and work with winners. Ultimately, they know that results are determined by the combined efforts and decision making of a group of individuals, and when the individuals improve and get better, their decisions and the final results get better.
Embody Your Values
Finally, people follow leaders that they can trust. And as a leader, trust is built by living consistently within the core values of your organization, by taking actions that support your beliefs, doing what you say you are going to do and, ultimately, “walking the walk and talking the talk.”
Overall, as a leader, you have to excite, motivate and inspire your followers in a way that leads to change. The mark of a great leader is getting your team to want to do what needs to be done to complete the vision and mission at hand.
