FIVE MORE FACES OF LEADERSHIP

This week I conclude a three-part series on the fundamentals of leadership. Let’s jump right in.

The Managing Leader: The fruit of a good manager grows on the trees of the people they lead. The managing leader understands his or her role as removing limitations and obstacles that hold their people back from performing to their full. Managing leaders make sure their people have the knowledge, skills and resources they need to get the job done right. Five habits of a managing leader:

1.  Provides clarity of purpose and expectations.
2.  Coordinates the work activity of others without micro-managing.
3.  Helps people get the training, materials and equipment needed.
4.  Monitors performance and offers coaching support to get the job done well.
5.  Delegates work that aligns to the skills and passions of their people.

The Mediating Leader: Mediating leaders know the difference between healthy conflict and unhealthy conflict. They know that not all conflict is destructive to an organization. In a culture of high trust, conflict leads to higher quality decisions; deeper personal commitment to shared goals; and, enhances mutual accountability for execution. Five habits of a mediating leader:

1.  Facilitates healthy team conflict to produce better decisions and outcomes.
2.  Remains composed and grounded during debate.
3.  Models listening well when participating in a difficult conversation.
4.  Mediates for mutual understanding when team members are arguing.
5.  Refrains from negative speech when provoked.

The Professional Leader: One cannot be an effective leader without being a consummate professional. Simply put, either you are a professional leader or no leader at all. Professionalism is a broad term with various applications from preparation to punctuality; from being tactful to humble. Five habits of a professional leader:

1. Always comes prepared for meetings.
2. Is consistently punctual.
3. Avoids gossip and utilizes silence to encourage others to do the same.
4. Operates with high degree of discretion at all times.
5. Displays tact and diplomacy in every situation.

The Resilient Leader : Resilient leaders operate with a basic sense of self-assurance. They possess the underlying belief that they can do what they set out to do regardless of how difficult it may be. They don’t lack awareness of forthcoming obstacles; rather, they have the substantive competence and will to overcome any situation in pursuit of important objectives. Henry Ford said “If you think you can . . . or think you can’t . . . you’re probably right!” Five habits of a resilient leader:

1.  Rises above stress and remains positive.
2.  Demonstrates fortitude to overcome challenges.
3.  Stays energized when facing tough times.
4.  Admits and overcomes failures and mistakes.
5.  Demonstrates courage when facing uncertainty.

The Prioritized Leader: The prioritized leader recognizes the finite supply of time, energy and resources available and wisely chooses to invest in the most important priorities. They never let the things that matter most be sacrificed in any way for the things that matter least. Prioritized leaders live by the Pareto principle that 80% of the results come from 20% of the activities. Prioritized leaders help others distinguish between the things that matter most from the things that matter least. Five habits of a prioritized leader:

1.  Continually focuses on the most important things.
2.  Establishes metrics to measure progress.
3.  Plans the most important work before starting any project.
4.  Helps others prioritize their work.
5.  Doesn’t try to do everything but focuses on key tasks.