Leadership: Doing It!

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Ed Britton, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

The 4 leadership qualities that 20,000 people on four continents put on top of the list(1):

The survey was conducted in 1987 and again in 1995. During that time, these four characteristics remained on top of more than 225 other values. However, one quality, inspiration, increased in value a full 10 percentage points. If the same survey was conducted today, I would venture that inspiration would rank even more highly as a critical leadership characteristic. In uncertain times, people seek for someone they can believe in.

“[We] expect our leaders to be enthusiastic, energetic, and positive about the future. We expect them to be inspiring … to communicate the vision in ways that encourage us to sign on for the duration.” (Ibid.)

In China, the value of inspiration holds. In this oral culture, the here and now eclipses even the cultural orientation to the past, and certainly any anticipation toward a typically uncertain future. The Chinese are the consummate opportunists, inspired by the hope of the moment. Without any empirical evidence to back it up, I’d risk the proposition that in China, inspiration actually tops the list.

Yet, a surprising number of people feel they lack the quality, that they have a more ‘plodding’ nature. Perhaps we are thinking of a ‘life of the party’ kind of personality that can whip up excitement around the room. If that’s so, then we have some wrong ideas about the real nature of sustainable, inspiring leadership.

I’d like to offer a few suggestions about developing sustainable inspiration as a leadership quality.

Create a personal inspiration bank so that you keep the fire burning in your own heart. Regularly (at least daily) surround yourself with the environment, people and ideas that you find inspiring and let them nourish your soul. Above all, read for inspiration! You are standing in line, traveling, waiting – read! To share the wealth, you have to first create the wealth.

Leaders must exemplify or there is nothing to follow. Be sure you are clear on the example that you wish your team to follow, and then be example.

You have to be the first to care about each individual in the team. The leader has to make the first connection with the heart, and perhaps the second, third, fourth … until each team member believes you, and that it is not just an act. You really care about him or her.

Encourage – to make courage. A leader of a large team, almost 200 individuals, estimated that at any particular moment, 4 out of 5 of his team were undergoing some very significant personal struggle. That’s 80% of his team at any point in time! These people need a strong shoulder – someone who believed in them and their future. He said, “I simply assume that each person I deal with is struggling to hang on, and that my job is to encourage them. “

Learn to tell your own [short] stories. They make you authentic, and it’s not just theory anymore. What it felt like, and how it turned out, and how it didn’t turn out, and how your story instructs the present challenges. It’s easy to understand and to agree with (unlike the latest 150 slide, technical PowerPoint presentation!). Don’t be reluctant to share the failures as well as the successes – they make you human and believable.

Leaders must learn to communicate simple, clear messages at multiple levels and multiple times. If you say it over and over again, people start believing you. As a rule of thumb, even for small messages, say it three times in three different ways.

Finally, leaders challenge people – that’s how they add value. Don’t be shy, hesitant or apologetic. It’s your job. People want you to lead. They expect it. They need it. The best leaders don’t lead to feel important – they lead to serve.

The ‘life of the party’ is an entertainer – not a leader – so lay the notion aside that you need to be a laugh a minute. Sustainable inspiration is challenging, honest, simple, consistent, communicated and authentic ally tailored for each member of the team. It is a personal thing – the leader living the message.

1. 1995. Kouzes, J. M. and B. Z. Posner. The Leadership Challenge. Jossey-Bass Inc. ISBN 0-7879-0110-5 (see pages 20-21)