The ability of a leader to relate well with others is a hallmark of creative leadership. An effective leader brings out the best in people through their ability to create caring connections and collaborate with others. It follows then that if people want to develop leadership competencies, they’ll need to improve relating abilities.
I don’t know of any short cuts to learning how to lead others effectively. Developing creative leadership is similar to becoming a good cook, there are many things to learn and and it all takes time.
Yet many of the people I consult with are in a hurry. They want to know what they should be working on, which competencies and skills are going to get them the next promotion or achieve the result. Sometimes, however, leadership isn’t a matter of mastering strategic focus, courageous authenticity or sustainable productivity.
Those skills count, of course. But the right tool in the hands of an reactive person won’t get the job done. Reactive leaders aren’t effective. We know that from research and studies that show how much more effective a leader is operating from a Creative mindset.
In my last post I discussed five areas necessary for optimal leadership:
- Relating
- Self-Awareness
- Authenticity
- Systems Awareness
- Achieving
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 results.
A tall order, you can bet. But not as overwhelming as you might think for leaders who wish to grow into these qualities. Thanks to some finely tuned assessment tools and 360 degree profiles such as the LCP by The Leadership Circle, we can now measure the behaviors that define each of the five leadership qualities.
For example, I use the LCP with my clients. You can read about it here. If we examine the first leadership quality on the list, Relating, the LCP site provides details of what those behaviors are.
An effective leader excels at bringing out the best in people through caring connections. He or she fosters team play for high-performance. Effective leaders are excellent collaborators and encourage that in others.
Optimal leaders are masters at mentoring and developing others. They have social intelligence, listening well to others, managing emotions and dealing with conflict and controversy.
These qualities demonstrate the Creative structure of mind that is highly correlated with effective leadership and high performance business.
We can see from this list of five Relating behaviors (measured by the 360 degree LCP) a clear path for improving leadership effectiveness.
How would you rate your own Relating abilities? Are you responding or reacting with the leadership needed in a given situation? Are you truly connecting with others to inspire alignment and action?
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.