“If you don't stand for something…You'll fall for anything” Alexander Hamilton

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Over the last few months I have been conducting more leadership sessions than ever before, fortunate to be working with a number of incredible organisations and dynamic leadership teams.

It feels like the pandemic slowed down the opportunity for training within this particular space and now everyone is coming to life with understanding how critical this is for business to progress and achieve the desired results.

Without the right leadership you will never achieve all you can.

Without those leaders having the right development, you will be forever wasting opportunities to succeed at an optimum level.

What does stand out in these sessions is the variation & mix of people that are comprising the leadership groups. And that mix represents a plethora of different qualities. 

I love seeing and hearing the different perspectives that come to the table driven by the different views, beliefs and qualities from each leader. I love even more when the group that might not agree, yet still listens to the words being offered.

That’s real leadership…being open-minded to hear every possibility, because one of those possibilities might lead to the best outcome.

But some qualities might be leading the individual into troubled seas, but which could it be?

Calm or choppy waters & what sets the course?

It's the principles that guide us forward.

A 60 second Google search on leadership qualities... 

This really could be an endless exercise, as I scrolled more words came up, here are just a few.

Decision Maker. Good Communicator. Set The Example. Motivates Others. Calls Attention To Success. Strategic thinking. Delegation. Communication. Integrity. Empathy.

Flexibility. Enthusiasm. Vision. Inspiration. Critical Thinking. Interpersonal Communication. Authenticity. Self-Awareness. Creativity. Flexibility. Responsibility & Dependability.

On and on…

Then I researched further “What qualities make a good leader?”

A good leader possesses several important qualities, including:

Vision: A good leader has a clear vision of where they want to go and can effectively communicate that vision to others.

Communication: Effective communication is essential for a good leader. They should be able to articulate their thoughts clearly and actively listen to others.

Empathy: A good leader is empathetic towards others and understands their needs, concerns, and emotions. They can put themselves in others' shoes and make decisions that benefit the team as a whole.

Integrity: A good leader is honest, ethical, and trustworthy. They lead by example and consistently adhere to a strong moral code.

Decisiveness: A good leader is decisive and can make tough decisions when necessary. They weigh the pros and cons and take action based on their judgement and experience.

Adaptability: A good leader is adaptable and can respond quickly to changing situations. They are open-minded and willing to adjust their plans as needed.

Accountability: A good leader takes responsibility for their actions and decisions. They hold themselves and others accountable for meeting goals and achieving results.

Confidence: A good leader is confident in their abilities and decisions. They inspire confidence in others and create a positive, productive work environment.

Overall, a good leader has a combination of these qualities and uses them to motivate, inspire, and guide their team towards success.

Leadership… “The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence”. —General Montgomery

But that was where I called off the search and dug into the memories of leaders I have worked with over the last 20+ years in fields such as retail, luxury goods and professional sports.

Choose the quality that feels authentic for you to develop.

Given there are so many words and images that can be associated with being a great leader, what can you do? Not everyone will be charismatic, decisive or an inspiring communicator. 

Where should your focus be?

Choose what can authentically fit you!

You can absolutely evolve over time as your experiences grow and your confidence also strengthens, but the best leaders I have ever met have been authentic, they haven’t tried to be something they are definitively not, they have recognised weaknesses and work on those but are very comfortable being the best versions of themselves.

Here are 6 principles for you…

But choose 3 to lead by, because they fit your ability, beliefs and mindset for the most part now, they might be a little challenging but that’s ok, this is where the growth comes from. As I say all the time "Do hard things"!

...and evolve as a result

Why can choosing 3 help?

Because as you are beginning your day, you can remind yourself of these qualities as your north star and check-in to see how you are bringing them to life.

Check in to see that yes you are on track, yes you are behaving and thinking with alignment.

Here we go...6 of the best.

Consistency - Nothing drives a team crazy and creates a divided group than being inconsistent. Being consistent with your messages, approach, style, mood and standards will enable your team to understand what is required and where you are coming from. Does anyone want to come into work on Monday wondering what leader they will get today and what will be driving their thinking and decisions, in short no! So don’t be that person.

Action: If you haven't done any work on your personal values, this can certainly help give you a north star to aim at with frequency.

Courageous - No this does not need to be about being a mix of a 5 star general or taking huge risks Monday to Sunday. It’s about taking charge when required, leading the team through the tough stuff, not giving into your own fears. It's about walking shoulder to shoulder with the team when times are tough and they need your support to make it through.

Action: Understand; What are you not doing enough of now? If you were more brave and courageous what would you do?

Collaboration - The long term growth of the organisation and your team will come from you fostering collaboration. Why? It brings a team together both physically, mentally and spiritually, enabling skills to be shared and learned. Importantly it tests out thinking as collaboration enables everyone to provide opinion to test the theory that is tabled or exists.

Action: Set clear guidelines about how this works, who has sign-off and be clear on when collaboration runs into circular conversations going no place fast!

Challenging - Test the theory, push the boundaries, raise the standards…none of this comes from sitting back and doing nothing and being a leader that challenges the team to be more is something that can make diamonds.

Action: Be mindful that some of your team might take being challenged in a different way. That is not to say don’t challenge but it is to say, understand your delivery method and timing for the team and individuals to get the best outcome.

Caring - Frankly if you don’t give a shit, don’t expect your team to either. If you want to be a part-time leader expect that action to have a reaction further down the road for you. This goes for how you care about your team. It can’t be all KPI’s, goals and leave the rest at the door. Yes, people still think that way.

Action; If you being spontaneous about checking in with your team, often leads to you never doing that, block out a time each week in your diary to get away from your desk or office and get amongst the team, touch base and just talk. You might even move desks for a few hours to shift the dynamic.

Calculating- Have a clear plan in your mind about what you are looking to achieve in each moment and interaction is critical and this will support you to be consistent but it also enables you to stay true to your long term vision as you have step by step measured approach. 

Action: Watch out that being calculated with your actions doesn’t lead you to being rigid in every response as this will have negative impacts on your team engagement.

There you have 6 principles of leadership for you to choose 3. Take the time to digest what can work for you now and also stretch your current capability.

Try asking yourself this

• What does the organisation need right now?

• What does it need from me?

• What does my team need me to do more of over the next 6 months?

• How will these 3 qualities help?

Chances are your organisation doesn’t need you to sit there and do nothing if the ship is sinking, with you stuck in an outdated way of thinking. 

It needs you to find another way to create a successful outcome. It needs you to adapt and tap into principles that will lead to a successful outcome.

Time to level up and be the leader you can be.

What better place to start than defining the principles to get you there, and clear from troubled waters.

More on the author

I’m a Life & leadership Coach - Behaviour Strategist with over 25 years of real world experience in organisations such as Myer, Jeanswest, LVMH and Melbourne United. I combine these experiences and knowledge to support organisations, people leaders and teams to pursue their potential. I specifically work with the next generation of leaders to ensure my experience and knowledge can support their progress in new roles, whilst navigating unnecessary pitfalls.

If you would like me to work with your teams or present to them on the below topics please reach out.

• Peak performance mindset
• Next generation of leadership
• Team building
• Healthy habits & Behaviour crafting for busy people
• Agility and discipline

More details on my corporate coaching programs, visit this page.