When you need to lead across the enterprise: 5 keys to being a great leader
Rounding out our three-part series on leadership, we move to organizational leadership. We have talked about self-leadership and leading teams; now, we discuss leading from a broader level. Not everyone reading this post will be in a high-level position, but these five keys can be relevant no matter what your level.
Those leaders at the top of an organization certainly set the tone; they have a huge impact on culture, norms, trust, respect, and productivity. I am sure we all have examples of great leaders we would follow anywhere and leaders where we wouldn't (and even maybe made a job change as a result).
In my career, great leaders were accessible, approachable, and sincerely interested to hear how things were going. The not-so-great leaders were "command and control" and didn't trust anyone. They had to do all of the talking and needed the limelight. I suggest for those individuals who need that level of attention, then leading a company or team is not for you.
But back to the great leaders ... my favorite senior leader was someone who truly felt success through their teams. They felt accountable for the organization's success, but they knew they would never be successful without everyone on the payroll understanding their role, connecting to the bigger picture, and feeling a sense of belonging and commitment. He felt inspiring this connection was his job alongside working with board members, shareholders, and Wall Street.
In my career, the best leaders I have either interacted with directly or seen from afar have many qualities in common. Here are the top five.
They provide clarity.
Clarity is king. The best leaders communicate relentlessly and ensure everyone is clear on the mission, where we are going, and how we are going to get there. They help set boundaries, model good behavior, and ensure everyone knows their role and how to be successful. Clarity is table stakes to success. Without it, people scramble, people make mistakes, people don't work on the right things, people have bad feelings because they don't know how to work as a team, people get resentful and people leave. Providing clarity is the number one goal of any leader.
They remove obstacles.
Sometimes, we get stuck. Even the best of us face a lack of budget or resources, unclear direction, or opposing viewpoints. One of the most helpful actions a leader can take is to understand the root cause of the situation and help remove obstacles to propel the team forward and be productive. These obstacles can vary from money to alignment to readiness to egos. Good leaders must frequently ask if people are facing any obstacles and how they can help. That simple question can not only engage people, but maybe fix a problem that will result in saving time, money, and anguish.
They weave the vision, mission, and purpose into everything.
Leaders live the vision. If they could walk around wearing a button all day, it would display the purpose and mission of the organization (some do as I have seen!). As a leadership team, they need to align on the vision and purpose first and have clarity themselves on what it means to them and their teams. Great leaders make sure people are clear on this so they can align. It is a part of every town hall, every huddle, in their email signature, and on their office wall. They live and breathe the purpose and help others understand it, connect with it, and advance it.
They know when to share and when to shield.
We all want transparency. If you don't share the vision, the common challenges, the goals, and our progress toward them, how can people pivot when necessary and help? The best ideas don't always come from the top so letting people in on the big picture can be extremely helpful. However, there are times when people don't need to know everything. Great leaders know when to share and when to protect their employees from distractions. This may seem counter-intuitive to the notion of transparency, but good leaders know when to share pertinent facts and when to spare people the drama, politics, egos, and the like that do nothing but demotivate and fuel gossip.
They never have all the answers.
Last, but not least ... The best leaders hire smart people -- sometimes even smarter than them in certain areas. They consult with them, ask for their opinion, listen to them, and get out of their way. Great leaders know and admit they don't have all the answers. Instead, they surround themselves with the best and brightest in areas that are needed to be successful, and they empower them to lead their respective areas.
There are many more keys and actions of great leaders. If you have one, please share. These five keys are critical to leading through teams and not micro-managing them; empowering them and not clipping their wings; aligning them and not creating a wild West scenario.
Great leaders check their egos at the door and figure out how to motivate, provide clarity, and get everyone moving toward the same destination. We all have roles to play; the role of the leader is to ensure we are aligned, focused, and engaged.