What are the qualities of optimal leadership for organizations of the future? What do we know about effective leaders who drive strong business performance?
The best leaders are skilled at connecting with others, they are self- aware, they speak congruently and act authentically, they grasp the big picture and the operational details within a whole system, and they are driven to achieve the right results.
A key component of Creative leadership competencies is self-awareness. Leaders who are self aware are perceived as more authentic. They are capable of inspiring confidence because they are true to themselves while balancing the needs of others and business performance. They bring out the best in others.
But just like most behaviors, when it comes to describing what’s optimal, we need to be specific. And we need to be accurate. Fortunately research organizations and assessment tools are able to measure which leadership behaviors describe an effective self-aware leader.
In my coaching and consulting practice, I use the Leadership Circle Profile, a leadership framework that includes a 360 degree survey that has been validated with over a half of million leaders across a wide variety of industries and countries.
To determine which behaviors are optimal for leaders, the creators of the LCP asked 50,000 managers worldwide to evaluate the kind of leadership that would enable their company to thrive.
Do these behaviors remind you of any of the leaders you’ve worked for? How effective were they at leading you and other people? Do you excel in any of these four components areas or can you identify which ones you would like to improve?
What I really like about these five buckets of Creative Competencies is how they progress from left to right beginning with people skills on the left to task-related skills on the right.
We know from The Ohio State leadership studies of the 1950’s that good leadership skills consists of both people skills and task focus. Most people have to develop the ability to excel at both at the same time.
The Leadership Circle does a great job of laying out the competencies and tendencies of effective leadership so that you can instantly see your strengths and opportunities to grow.
Can you see the huge value of examining your strengths laid out in such a clear and structured manner? This is an easy-to-grasp table designed to focus leadership development efforts so you become a more effective leader.
I challenge you to name one thing more important to your career than knowing where to focus your leadership learning. I’ve worked with a lot of leaders and they always have work that can grow their effectiveness exponentially. All that’s needed is to put in a little effort with a trusted coach or someone who is willing to tell them how they impact others.
What do you see lacking in the leaders where you work? As always, I’d love to hear from you. I can be reached at 425-533-4330 or email Marty@VondrellLeadership.com, here or on LinkedIn.