Exemplary Leadership
Been reflecting on what it means to be a exemplary leader this week. Sparked by a chain of epic leadership situations, that you could include in a “what not to do” article. I’ll be frank, bad leadership is all around us. People forget that leadership is a skill, just like any other, that must be developed and honed. You don’t just wake up a great leader. Just because you have a fancy degree, big title or you are a brilliant engineer or scientist, does not necessarily mean that you are the right fit for a leadership position. To be an exemplary leader, one must be proficient at a multitude of soft skills along with the technical skills and that takes conscious effort and hard work.
ELEVATING OTHERS
Here is something that has always bothered me. Traditionally when topics of leadership arise, specifically around how great leaders are discussed and fostered, it is typically centered around the persona; their talents, their charisma, values, clear communication skills, and role. It tends to miss an important, arguably essential, point. True leaders create the environment and conditions for their teams to be their best and to thrive.
Meaning under their leadership, teams can fully realize their potential and achieve their goals. True leaders support others. They inspire, listen and cultivate them. Leaders give their teams the tools and resources that they need to succeed and then they get out of their way so that they can soar. Empowerment and mentorship are prioritized. Leaders don’t blame or point fingers but instead, fix problems and find solutions. They model what great looks like for their team. Leaders make sure that they feel valued and heard. Importantly, they also give them the credit when it is all said and done.
In essence, to be a exemplary leader, one must elevate others.
BOSS VS. LEADER
True leaders breed other leaders. It is true! Once you have experienced a fantastic leader, you are never again the same.
Honestly, I would say that I have only experienced a handful of true leaders during my business career in corporate roles, which has spanned over two decades. A sad statement, but true. It is rare to find executives today that truly understand this nuance.
I love this series of illustrations as they really drive the point home with clear visuals!
FANTASTIC LEADERS BREED OTHER LEADERS
Pretty simple. T-shirts and signs for the office should be made that read, “Your success as a leader is tied to my success as your team member.” Maybe that will help bring the message home! To me, it seems like an obvious, a win-win.
Also, shockingly obvious to me and an equally fantastic t-shirt slogan, “Don’t be irreplaceable. If you are too valuable to be replaced, you can’t be promoted.” Meaning if you haven’t mentored and cultivated a strong replacement for yourself, and you have set up an environment where you essential by micromanaging everyone around you, then you are less likely to be promoted out of your position. I have seen this happen so many times! Seems like a no-brainer to always have an heir-apparent trained and ready to jump into your role.
ROSEMARIE
I consider myself lucky that early on in my career I met an amazing leader, mentor, and sponsor, Rosemarie. She took me under her wing and mentored me towards achieving far beyond my expectations both professionally and personally. Roe was a very clear communicator and she was able to set really clear expectations and articulate fantastic feedback and praise. I was pushed, mentored, sponsored and most importantly, I felt completely believed in. She trusted me and I completely trusted her. Once that was established, I would have done everything in my power to live up to her expectations and achieve greatness. We were a rocking team!
Reflecting on that time was truly magical for my development and I am so fortunate that I had that experience, especially early in my career. I was spoiled under her leadership!
BAD LEADERSHIP IS EVERYWHERE
For many years after that, I found myself working for or around corporate leaders that were the exact opposite of Rosemarie. Many were distant, uncommunicative, untruthful, manipulative, condescending, and even in a few cases backstabbing. It is rough out there! I will not sugar coat it. I could write an entire book, or maybe two even, with all the horror stories. There are some horrible and abusive managers out there.
Forbes magazine shared, “A Gallup study on the State of the American Manager insinuated the problem is intrinsic. The study found that “only one in 10 people have the high talent to effectively manage others. Another two in 10 have functioning managerial talent.”
One Harvard Business Review study estimated 75% of people believe their primary stressor at work is their boss.
WHY IS HORRIBLE LEADERSHIP SO PREVALENT?
There are many reasons for the frequency of horrible leadership but I believe that lack of awareness and education around truly great leadership and soft skills development is a primary cause. Historically corporate executives have often been placed in their roles because of their technical expertise, knowledge, or advanced degrees and some cases just because they invented key technologies…. or maybe just are buddies with leadership. Seriously.
As a society, we have forgotten that leadership is also a skill that needs to be developed and honed. Why don’t we develop these skill in school? Why is leadership not valued enough to be taught in school? I believe this to be a huge miss! Our corporate executives MUST to be trained and educated to develop their leadership skills too.
There are no laws in place that prohibit bad managers. So, unless a company culture enforces it or there is a deep ethical desire on the managers’ or executives’ part to be a great leader, then bad behavior fosters.
INTERVIEW PRIORITY
An important lesson to remember. Your manager can make or break your job. Pick them carefully. And always remember to evaluate the leadership above them as well! That’s right when you are interviewing and looking for your next role, remember that who you work for is often more important than the role, the salary, company, and the work you are doing. There is a very common saying, “You are interviewing them, just as much as they are interviewing you.” When you are in a horrible situation it will bring you down and affect your health– mentally and physically.
When you find those truly wonderful leaders, then that is a special treat! Gold mine even!
YOUR LEADERSHIP JOURNEY
I challenge you to think more about your journey to becoming a great leader. How are you developing your skills? Who are you mentoring? How are you helping to elevate others? You don’t have to have a fancy title or place at the top of the org chart to be an amazing leader. You can start today. Leadership and opportunities to be great leaders are all around us.
Take note of great leadership examples. Think about how you can model fantastic leadership skills in your daily life, and not just at work. Observation and self-reflection are great places to start improving your skills. Find some great leaders to observe. Teachers, friends, parents are great places to start. Some of my most memorable leadership experiences happened during my training as a dancer and cheerleader. I can’t imagine that anyone would watch the Netflix hit, “Cheer” and not agree that their coach, Monica Aldama is a remarkable leader. She takes her team members under her wing so to speak. It is clear that Monica listens, mentors, supports, pushes and communicates her expectations to the team.
I will leave you today with one of my favorite quotes by Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg…
Some curated Career Tips and Inspiration for you!
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