One of the greatest challenges of leadership is shouldering the responsibility it confers. Part of that responsibility is the responsibility to deal with those aspects of yourself that can keep you from being an effective leader.
Leadership can be really hard. You have to juggle personalities, raise motivations, provide mentorship, continue learning, and meet the goals dictated down to you, all at the same time. On top of all that, the environment inside and outside your company is constantly shifting.
There are a lot of skills that make up good leadership, but there is one quality that is possibly the most challenging, that is self-awareness, because self-awareness requires you to focus on yourself—not the easiest thing to do for an outwardly focused leader.
Research by the Brandon Hall Group shows that critical thinking is the most important skill required of leaders to successfully lead an organization.
The actual definition of leadership is often debated. However, most definitions incorporate the three concepts of influence, power and motivation.
Leadership stems from social influence, not authority or power. Leadership requires others, and that implies that they do not need to be “direct reports”. No mention of personality traits, attributes, or even a title; there are many styles, many paths to effective leadership.
A weak leader focuses solely on getting the job done instead of using the job as a way to help their people develop new competencies and skills. It's an ineffective leader who keeps their people playing small without investing in them, whether it's through neglect or because they see others as a threat.
A good leader should have integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, empathy, and gratitude. They should be learning agile and flex their influence while communicating and delegating effectively. See how these key leadership qualities can be learned and improved at all levels of your organization.
Leaders often feel the pressure from above to get the job done and from below to consider the wants and needs of those within their team. Although holding yourself accountable can be a positive trait for leaders, when taken too far it can also have a negative or toxic impact on the business.
Leaders start to fail when they get too focused on the achievements and the numbers. Without the culture and the values to direct them, leaders (along with the team) follow misguided and misconceived goals which can quickly lead them to their downfall.
These behaviors are not seeking input, not trusting their team, not communicating well, and not recognizing their team for hard work. Bad leaders don't know their team personally, don't give feedback, blame others, don't celebrate wins, don't train their team, and don't adapt to change.
The three most important roles of a leader are motivator, communicator, and uniter. Leaders motivate their team members to do great work, clearly and consistently communicate expectations and the organization's cultural norms to them, and unite them with a shared sense of purpose to achieve the vision.
The democratic leadership style is one of the most effective because it encourages everyone to participate in all processes, share their opinions, and know that you will hear them. It also encourages employees to be engaged because they know you will hear their feedback.
People. Progress., nearly 300 C-level business leaders across the globe cite, 'leaders who lead by example,' 'clear purpose,' 'clear communication,' and 'trust' as key elements that influence highly effective workplace cultures. These four elements, when strengthened, build effective leadership skills.
Leadership weaknesses include poor communication skills, inability to delegate tasks, and low self-confidence. You can develop good leadership abilities by identifying your own weakness and practicing good leadership habits and skills.