People Remember Powerful Leaders

The universal attributes of leaders who change lives.

 

The traditional model of the leader-hero who saves the day, knows it all, is the smartest person in the room, and is too often driven by power, fame, glory, or money is no longer appropriate in today’s environment. A different kind of leader is needed, and as the cornerstone of any organisation, having the wrong type of leader steering the ship can result in a sinking vessel.

While each organisation defines its own leadership perspective, there are universal attributes that characterise leaders who are able to unleash the kind of human magic you see at work at some of the most high-performing companies. Today's leaders need more than technical skills. They need self-awareness, and interpersonal, group, and systems skills to help them navigate in increasingly complex and cross-functional environments. They need to be the calm in the eye of the storm, adapting constantly to new challenges not as a lone warrior, but as a catalyst for teamwork.

Powerful leaders influence, encourage, motivate, inspire and challenge their team to produce their best work. They connect their team together through a common purpose, while building relationships in the workplace that allow for effective communication, more creativity and better problem-solving. People remember powerful leaders, colleagues rely on them, and teams transform because of them.

These transformational leaders typically have three things in common: They have a unique point of view of the world, they are confident they can achieve an ambitious goal, and they are willing to fail spectacularly in the name of creating something revolutionary, all the while keeping their teams safe, driven and focused. To level up your leadership today, here are ten universal attributes to consider.

Lead from the trenches, not from the ivory tower. Memorable leaders are visible, accessible, and present. Instead of sitting in your corner office working on your strategy behind closed doors, get out to the front lines and understand your business from the perspective of your customer and your team. The knowledge you will gain through direct contact with your staff and your market is incredibly valuable and can make the difference between a winning strategy and a mediocre 'we've always done it that way' implementation plan that lacks originality and purpose.

Micromanagement breeds resentment, not results. Control stifles growth, and there is nothing more demotivating for your team than treating them like children when you also expect them to function as high performing industry specialists. If you are unable to trust your team to deliver results without watching over their shoulders, either you need to adjust your leadership style, or you have the wrong team. Usually, it's the former.

Fuel growth to propel performance. Where growth stops occurring, life ceases to exist. When the human body is put under exceptional strain, a range of dormant genes in the DNA are expressed and extraordinary physiological processes are activated. If you want extraordinary results from your team, they need to grow. And as their leader you are in the ideal position to ensure that that growth occurs.

Find the natural genius in everyone. The best ideas often come from the most unexpected places. More often than not, your team members will not know what their natural skills are, and how they can capitalise on these skills (their hidden genius) to develop and propel growth for themselves and for the organisation. Your purpose as a leader is to uncover and unlock the full potential of every person in your team. Make this a priority, and your team will achieve success beyond all expectations.

Silent teams are fearful teams. If your team can't speak up, it's because you've taught them it's not safe to do so. Psychological safety is a phenomenon that allows and sparks interpersonal risk-taking within teams. It encourages group members to offer opinions, suggest ideas, ask questions, raise concerns, speak up, and admit mistakes without fearing negative consequences. And it's vital if you want to achieve innovative ideas and powerful results. As a leader, it's your job to create a safe space for your team to respectfully speak their minds. Without that safe space, you will lose their natural genius - or they'll take it somewhere else.

Set the standard you expect. Mediocrity breeds mediocrity. Excellence breeds excellence. You get to choose the level of excellence at which your team will deliver. If you accept mediocrity in your own life and work delivery, you can expect your team to do the same. Make sure that your team know what standard of work you expect from them by leading by example. If you expect them to deliver on tight deadlines and go that extra mile to ensure success - you need to do the same.

Clear the way or get out of the way. Your job as a leader is to remove roadblocks for your team. Read that again. Your job is not to put your name on your team's successes or avoid responsibility when they make mistakes. Be crystal clear on what your team believe to be the obstacles preventing them from achieving outstanding results, and then spend your time removing those obstacles. If you're unable, unprepared or unwilling to do so for whatever reason, get out of the way - because then you're the roadblock.

Tough conversations build strong teams. Whenever I'm responsible for a new team, I have the 'Blue Sky' conversation. Always. I make sure that I have the tough conversation about what is and what isn't working and why. As an external consultant, it's easier for teams to tell me the truth because they know that I'm there to move things forward and I don't yet have alliances within the organisation. As a leader, if you don't ask these tough questions, you won't know what you need to do and how you can support your team to deliver their best work.

Don't save recognition for the finish line. Recognition is a powerful feedback tool. When employees feel valued, they’re more engaged, motivated, and likely to go the extra mile for their company. Organisations with formal employee recognition programs have 31% less voluntary turnover than organisations that don't have any program at all. And they're 12 times more likely to have strong business outcomes. If you want to drive employee, team, and business success, you need to prioritise staff recognition. Failing to recognise your team's successes - even the small wins - will always result in a fatal weakness for your organisation.

Be the dumbest person in the room. Having people in your team who are smarter than you is a blessing not a threat. It's simple: hire people who excel in different areas than you do. Give them the ability to succeed by providing a playing field that matches their skill set. Give your team the opportunities to get out in front of the leaders and co-workers they support. Build the bridges they need to be successful and set the example. After all, these subject matter experts are the ones who will demonstrate a skill set and knowledge that strengthens the entire department and the organisation, including you, their leader.