7 Overlooked Habits of Great Leaders You Should Pick Up
Most leaders want to be great at what they do, but far too many fall short. Why is that? What do great leaders have that not-so-great ones don’t?
There are many different ways of leading, but great leaders have a few important habits that anyone can cultivate in themselves.
1. Listen More Than Speak
"Most of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening than talking." --Bernard Baruch
The most successful people don’t use conversations to fuel their self-worth, but rather as a way of learning from another person. Stop talking before others stop listening. The less you say the more interesting and inviting you become. You can always say more but you can never take back.
2. Be Flexible
Leaders need to have a flexible and fluid mindset to adapt to changes and new challenges, which is fostered by being open to new perspectives and ways of doing things.
If you are managing people, every person has a different need, so the same management style doesn’t work as effectively on different people.
If you can adapt your management style to the needs of your bright and hardworking employees, if you can pick up on what makes each of them tick and do this without compromising the end results, then you are going to be a true leader. You are going to be effective and they are going to be able to deliver amazing results to you.
3. Have Integrity
If you ask employees what they want most from their leaders, chances are that they will say "integrity." Employees want their leaders to be honest, fair, candid, and forthright, and to give everyone an equal shot at opportunities, including promotions, assignments, and training. When you act with integrity, your employees will respond in kind--and they will be more loyal to you and your business.
4. Be Confident But Not Arrogant
Great leaders are self-assured and very confident in themselves. Employees are naturally drawn to them, as they impart a strong sense of self-confidence. You know you possess this type of confidence when you don't shy away from challenges. Your confidence conveys a sense of calm during turbulent times, and great leaders do not waver once they commit to a course of action.
5. Be Brutally Honest With Yourself
The key word here is “brutal.” Not brutal as in self-loathing, but brutal as in gut-level candor. They refuse to run away from honest evaluation. In fact, they do the exact opposite—they run hard after feedback. Because they know and embrace their brutal truth, both flaws and flowers, they experience freedom to pursue their best selves and best work.
6. Be Bold But Not A Bully
It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble. Like the farmer, if you want any rewards at harvest time, you have got to be bold and face the weeds and the rain and the bugs straight on. You've got to seize the moment.
7. Look At The Big Picture
Much of every leader's job is dealing with crises and problems--it's a key part of the position. But the most successful leaders always remember to step away from the everyday issues they must deal with to look at the big picture. This means keeping an eye on the horizon for new opportunities to be acted on, and new problems to be avoided. If you find yourself constantly surprised by new developments in your business or markets, then you're not taking enough time to look at the big picture.
Most leaders want to be great at what they do, but far too many fall short. Why is that? What do great leaders have that not-so-great ones don’t?
There are many different ways of leading, but great leaders have a few important habits that anyone can cultivate in themselves.
1. Listen More Than Speak
"Most of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening than talking." --Bernard Baruch
The most successful people don’t use conversations to fuel their self-worth, but rather as a way of learning from another person. Stop talking before others stop listening. The less you say the more interesting and inviting you become. You can always say more but you can never take back.
2. Be Flexible
Leaders need to have a flexible and fluid mindset to adapt to changes and new challenges, which is fostered by being open to new perspectives and ways of doing things.
If you are managing people, every person has a different need, so the same management style doesn’t work as effectively on different people.
If you can adapt your management style to the needs of your bright and hardworking employees, if you can pick up on what makes each of them tick and do this without compromising the end results, then you are going to be a true leader. You are going to be effective and they are going to be able to deliver amazing results to you.
3. Have Integrity
If you ask employees what they want most from their leaders, chances are that they will say "integrity." Employees want their leaders to be honest, fair, candid, and forthright, and to give everyone an equal shot at opportunities, including promotions, assignments, and training. When you act with integrity, your employees will respond in kind--and they will be more loyal to you and your business.
4. Be Confident But Not Arrogant
Great leaders are self-assured and very confident in themselves. Employees are naturally drawn to them, as they impart a strong sense of self-confidence. You know you possess this type of confidence when you don't shy away from challenges. Your confidence conveys a sense of calm during turbulent times, and great leaders do not waver once they commit to a course of action.
5. Be Brutally Honest With Yourself
The key word here is “brutal.” Not brutal as in self-loathing, but brutal as in gut-level candor. They refuse to run away from honest evaluation. In fact, they do the exact opposite—they run hard after feedback. Because they know and embrace their brutal truth, both flaws and flowers, they experience freedom to pursue their best selves and best work.
6. Be Bold But Not A Bully
It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble. Like the farmer, if you want any rewards at harvest time, you have got to be bold and face the weeds and the rain and the bugs straight on. You've got to seize the moment.
7. Look At The Big Picture
Much of every leader's job is dealing with crises and problems--it's a key part of the position. But the most successful leaders always remember to step away from the everyday issues they must deal with to look at the big picture. This means keeping an eye on the horizon for new opportunities to be acted on, and new problems to be avoided. If you find yourself constantly surprised by new developments in your business or markets, then you're not taking enough time to look at the big picture.
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