One of the things I’ve learned in my many years of working with leaders at all levels is that every leader is unique. Each has his or her own strengths, values and approach to leadership.
And, at the same time, there are a few things that all great leaders have in common. Trust and integrity, as I talked about in my last blog, is one of them. Another one is knowing how to be real and be bold.
What does that mean?
Being real means being self-aware. It means knowing your strengths and admitting your development areas. It also means recognizing how your behaviors affect others. An example is your behavior under stress. Most of us have learned to manage stress at some level. And…most of us also have certain stress triggers that can change our normally positive behaviors into something else. For example, a critical deadline may turn attention to detail into analysis paralysis. The pressure to find an innovative solution may turn creative thinking into a flood of ideas but no action. Being self-aware means identifying those triggers, recognizing the behavior changes (and how they affect performance and others), and adjusting behaviors accordingly.
To become more self-aware, spend some time reflecting on the behaviors and skills that have helped you thus far in your career. Be honest with yourself about the behaviors that have worked against you. If given the opportunity to take a personality assessment, 360-review, or candid conversation with your leader about your strengths and development areas – take it.
Being bold means having the ability to state your opinions and hold strong to your beliefs. It means sticking up for your team, taking risks, and doing what’s right. Even when no one is watching.
Being real and being bold allows you to decisively communicate your vision. This provides your organization with clarity of purpose, which then creates a more engaged and more motivated team.
And…it’s what makes you the leader Only You can be.
Leadership development is an ongoing process and critical to organizational success – even during a pandemic. PeopleThink’s Keep it Real Leadership program uses a virtual platform to equip and elevate emerging and advancing leaders. It’s leadership development anywhere/anytime. Contact me for a demo. kcolligan@peoplethink.biz.
Till next time, keep it real!
Karen
