What Makes Great Leaders?
Across time, nations and industries the best long-term leaders have exhibited the same six characteristics:
1. Resilient Effort: There is no substitute for hard work. Talent matters but is not enough. Hard work, focus and persistence are what makes for success. They never “call it in”. Tim Ferris and all those books of 4-hour workweeks and stuff are fantasies. If one want to do well, one has to work one’s butt off. Period.
Even if one is wickedly smart.
When we see people we admire do things effortlessly, it is because they have practiced, continuously iterated, and learned. As a result they have sculpted intellectual and emotional muscles that now make their performance second nature.
The effort is also sustained.
They are relentless and constantly resurrecting after setbacks.
2. Growth Mindset: The best leaders are perpetual students constantly growing utilizing three tactics:
a) Exploration: They explore new areas outside their category knowing that the future of their industry is likely to come from outside of it. They seek guides and experts to help them navigate what they do not know. They travel to meet start-ups and to different nations to understand other perspectives and new approaches.
b) Engaging provocateurs/ jesters: Often it is only the clown that can convey the truth to the Crown. Rather than have “yes women and men” chant about the greatness of the dear leader they retain challengers and people who question them.
If they wanted somebody to reflect what they say, they know it is far more cost effective to replace a senior manager with a full-length mirror.
c) Setting aside time for learning: Their calendars have time set aside to learn. Usually they are prolific readers and intensely curious. As Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, notes they display a “learn it all” mindset versus a “know it all” mindset.
3. Integrity and Trust: Integrity is when what one says, what one believes and what one does are aligned.
Integrity is a way of doing. It is a behaviour.
And one does not build a reputation for integrity without principles and sticking to them even if it is inconvenient to a career.
Build reputation by speaking truth to power if appropriate.
Sometimes this may mean going against the grain and what is majority opinion.
By being fearless and calling things out (politely, calmly and often with humor) versus bending the knee to the powerful, the moneyed and the in-fashion.
Among the best compliments one can get is that one is a person of their word.
Integrity is the bank that prints trust.
Trust is the critical currency in business and relationships.
Trust is a way one is perceived. It is a feeling.
Trust is speed because it removes friction and accelerates decision making and risk taking.
If trusted as a leader, our colleagues, our partners, and our investors are open to being innovative, taking risks, moving fast, speaking up, and continuously improving.
Outside of a few cases, leaders give trust to those who work with them till proved wrong rather than get them to earn trust. Trust is often earned and kept by showing the data one is using, being clear about one’s intent and goals and being transparent about the decision making process.
4. Accessibility: Regardless of how powerful or famous or busy they are, leaders find ways for people to get to them easily and feel safe and free to speak what is on their mind and in their hearts.
Whether it be a student, a startup, someone who sounds like a nitwit with a crazy idea, they know it is important to find time to meet these folks. They are wary of over relying on a bevy of executive assistants to filter and shoo away people. To grow it is essential to meet new people, to listen, and to be available.
They encourage people to challenge them. They work to be respected and admired, not feared.
5. Stewardship: Leaders recognize that success is due to those around them.
The talent that delivers the products and services which they need to attract, retain and cultivate by giving them opportunities to build and grow their skills, reputation and wealth.
They recognize that the company they lead is bigger and greater than them. There were leaders before and there will be leaders after. Great leaders never believe they are the company.
They focus on the ensuring the long term success of their customers.
Leaders recognize that it is about others first and not them first.
6. Results: One does not stay a leader without delivering a spectrum of results.
Financial results are a key but they are built on other key deliverables including insights, ideas and imagination to re-think one’s business and help customers re-invent theirs.
The best leaders do not just keep their companies up to date but up to tomorrow and here is why a growth mindset becomes key.
Just as is the reputation for integrity, trust and stewardship since the only way to get from here to there often is convincing investors, customers and talent to go to a new world which feels risky, scary and often lacks clarity.
One Single Thing.
Every picture tells a story…
© Paula Hornickel: Waltraud × Navel Emma