If you want to achieve great results, then you need to be a great leader.
Here are 18 tips about how great leaders do things differently that will help you on your Journey journey.
1. They Create Self-Belief In Their Teams
It’s not big bold, beautiful goals which inspire people.
It’s their belief that they can achieve these goals. That’s what gives them inspiration, excites them and gets them to take-up the challenge.
Great leaders inspire belief, not just in themselves, but in their people, as they know that the teams are the ones who will do all the work.
2. They’re Confident, Not Arrogant
They understand that confidence is inclusive and that it helps build trust, whereas arrogance can alienate people.
3. They Are Positive But Remain Realistic
Positivity is a great trait, but it needs to be grounded in reality.
When your optimism is real, it’s easy to explain and share the reasons behind it, which then increases positivity in others.
4. They Set The Tone
All great leaders walk the walk and set the example for the rest of the team to follow. People believe what you do, much more than what you say, and when your actions and words are aligned you get much better buy-in.
5. They Protect Their Teams
Leaders who protect their teams, get protected by their teams. Occasionally you have to take a bullet for the team, but when you do it significantly increases loyalty and confidence in the leader.
6. Take Accountability Seriously.
Accountability starts at the top, and if you want to create a culture of accountability, then you have to hold yourself accountable and be seen to be doing so.
7. They Hold The Course But Scrap What’s not Working.
Leaders have to have the courage to keep going, even when the going get’s tough. But that doesn’t mean sticking to a failing plan. Great leaders know when it’s time to change tack and try a different approach. It’s all about achieving the goal, not just following a plan.
8. Plan Quick Wins But Think Long Term Success
Quick wins generate momentum and increase confidence, but they have to be part of the longer-term strategy. They have to be steps along the path to our ultimate goal.
9. They Are Passionate.
Passion ignites passion, it excites, it energizes and makes the improbable seem possible, and keeps people going through the tough times.
10. They Trust Their Judgment But Are Open To Input
The best leaders know they don’t know it all. They are happy to make difficult decisions, but they are also open to input from their teams. As this helps increase self-belief in the teams and also their commitment.
11. They Foster Creativity.
Great leaders challenge their teams to be creative and to come up with new ways of thinking and different solutions. Big goals cannot always be achieved with the old way of doing things.
12. They Learn From Their Mistakes, But Also From Those Of Others
We don’t need to make the mistakes ourselves from them to be of benefit. If we don’t learn from the mistakes of others, we may be doomed to repeat them.
13. They Focus on the Big Picture, But They Also Remember Small Details
The devil is always in the detail, and if you only ever focus big picture, you can be derailed by the small things.
14. They Give Feedback, Both Good, And Bad
It’s great to be quick to praise, as it motivates people to repeat the good deeds and look for further opportunities for praise. But we also need to be able to correct failing performance or behavior. Too many avoid this as it can be seen as confrontational, but if it’s done supportively it can have just as big a benefit as praise,
15. They Are Present
When leaders are present, people feel that they are much more involved, that they are working shoulder to shoulder which increases confidence and commitment.
16. They Are Calm in a Crisis
Great leaders know the value of calmness. The understand that calmness allows people to move into solution mode and start to take action to help avert the crisis.
17. They Promote Trust and Open Communication
Collectively we are stronger and smarter, but without trust and open communication we can never access our full collective capability.
18. They Use the Word We, Not I
When I talk about using We, I am not talking about the majestic plural, the pronoun which refers to a single person in high office. No, when I use the word We I am talking us, everyone, who is involved.
Great leaders don’t make it about themselves; they understand that to achieve significant success, it has to be bigger than just one person.