As a human behavioural expert, business and leadership coach and successful business leader, I often reflect on, witness and experience many different forms of leadership. And I’ve found there is a huge gap between a ‘good leader’ and a ‘phenomenal leader’.
The biggest gaps seem to be in how they build rapport, relationships and trust. It’s essential for a phenomenal leader to have certainty and ability to develop positive relationships with others. To help you develop further in these areas, I’ve included below 15 tips for phenomenal leadership.
Now granted this isn’t an exhaustive list, but it will serve as a great reference point for those new in leadership roles, and a reminder or refresher for those who have been in leadership for many years.
- Have a leadership curiosity. Who are great leaders you know? What do they do differently? What do you need to be, do or have? Learn and model from them.
- Always have the outcome in mind. What is the purpose? What’s the project or company mission?
- Always align values, behaviour, strategies, tasks and responsibilities to the vision and mission.
- Leave your alter ego and sabotaging ego at the door. You’re not the focus when you are a leader; you’re team and mission are your focus.
- Show vulnerability. Know your strengths and stretches. Share them, be accountable and apologise. Be honest. Surround yourself with others who are more brilliant than you; you’re not expected to be an expert in everything.
- Be committed to seek behavioural understanding of each person on your team as every individual and team is unique and extraordinary. How do they best learn? What makes them engaged, motivated and inspired?
- Become one with others. Step in their shoes. Mirror them if you need to. Listen to them. Take on their tone, actions and language. You’ll build respect, trust and rapport faster. Then lead by example, encourage and share with them your expectations. Pace. Pace. Lead.
- Build trust through authenticity. Be reliable, dependable and follow through.
- Celebrate mistakes and allow others to step outside of comfort zone and make them too. Failure is merely feedback. Always celebrate new learnings, achievements and mistakes, as they are new ways of discovery.
- Hire a business or leadership coach for yourself so you can learn new ways of thinking. Mentor and support opportunities for professional development and growth of others.
- Stop to reflect, review and rethink the environment, structure, implementation and people.
- Who’s your team? Identify your team’s strengths and stretches. Profiling is excellent way to gain clarity on yourself and others in your team. It’s also resourceful to share it within your team. EDISC and Meta Dynamics are excellent profiling tools.
- Nurture significance, connection, variety, certainty, growth and contribution to your team. It can start with a smile.
- Have time for self-care, solitude, nature and re-energising time.
- Know your customers and team well. Research and become curious about their needs, behaviours and preferred ways of learning.
What tips will you implement in your leadership? Leave me a message in the comment section below!
Are you unleashing your leadership power? We have a wide variety of leadership programs, profiling tools and resources to help you become a better leader and build a high performing team. Let’s have a chat on 0407 915 300.