What do you suppose is the most important thing leaders need to be doing?
If you are passionate about leadership, and I know you are, this question should automatically spur a lot of thoughts in your head. Some things that might come to mind right away are:
- Creating innovative strategies for the organization or business
- Foster team cohesion
- Develop the attitude of a change agent
- Create an environment of trust and approachability
- Inspire the team to do more and be more
- Facilitate coaching opportunities with the team
- Ensuring your family is taken care of
- Supporting those in need in times of crisis
While all of these are great examples of the important things a leader should be working on, there is one aspect that stands above all else. And I guess you could also say that some of these qualities are incorporated into this one thing.
“The most important thing leaders need to be doing is trying to become better leaders.” [Tweet This]
As a young leader, I gave little recognition to the fact that I was actually a leader. I didn’t completely understand what leadership was, other than telling people what to do. But, that isn’t what it is about at all. I made this huge mistake and it took me years and more than a few trials and errors to come to this realization. Looking back it pains me to think about the lives I have touched during this stage and the impact, positive or negative, that I had on them at a time when I was trying to learn.
How do leaders go about the business of becoming better leaders?
- Personal and professional development
If you are part of an organization, are you going to wait for your employer to support your leadership development? A lot of businesses realize the importance of training their leaders to be… leaders. This is important, but it is a mistake to wait for the employer to step up. Leadership development begins at home. We are family leaders first and that doesn’t change when we go to work. There are a number of things you can do to enhance your leadership before formal training is offered to you. Being a faithful reader of this blog is a great step in the right direction or doing a quick search on iTunes will turn up a plethora of podcasts offering a ton of value in this field as well.
- Teach and expansion of reach
I can’t think of a better way to influence another person than to teach and mentor. I thrive on mentoring and seek out opportunities to do so often. Mentoring will make you a better leader by allowing you to see the strength of your impact in action. Don’t wait to be sought out as a mentor either, as most won’t have the gumption to be up front and outright ask. Be the seeker. Look for an opportunity to step up and help someone go further. Beat them to the punch.
- Ask for and accept feedback
There are two factors in play here, asking and accepting. Have the humility to ask for the feedback you so rightly deserve, so then you should be open to accepting it as well. Asking for and receiving this necessary feedback is worthless if you won’t give yourself a chance to accept it. Accepting feedback is not the same as receiving it. Sometimes the truth hurts if you can find someone to give it to you, but the truth will set you free. And when you are free, you are also free to learn.
Why is it important to take your leadership seriously?
The reason I am stressing this is simple. Leadership is a lot of things to a lot of people. But most importantly, it is all about people. We can easily get a blurred vision and begin to lose clarity when we get lost in the strategic thought of leadership when, at its core, leadership is relational. People are what matters the most. This is the human capital you must invest in.
“Your decisions as a leader carry a lot of weight because lives are at stake.”
It is easy to forget about the repercussions of the decisions we make because we may not know what our people are dealing with. While we should strive to know them well, it is not always possible to be aware of everything they are dealing with. You can serve them better with the more knowledge you have.
I want to stress to leaders at all levels that your actions matter and are making an impact on someone’s life. That is a big deal and should not be taken lightly. This doesn’t just happen in the workplace, but at home too. The things you say and do travel much farther than you might think. It is important to be cognizant of this fact. Don’t let time come between you and the impact you’re capable of. Get serious about leadership. Lives are at stake.
Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg says
Hi Leo. Great question! I never really thought of myself as a leader (as a psychotherapist) until I read your post. No wonder I love to read articles on leadership! I lead a team of clients towards wholeness! The things you mentioned above fit what I try to do as well. And I do take it seriously…sometimes a life depends on me being willing to know and respond to dark places. Thanks for helping me clarify this and to walk in it to the best of my ability.
Leo J. Lampinen says
Thank you Linda, that is so refreshing to hear. What is great also is that once you realize you are a leader, a huge deal of responsibility is placed on your shoulders. But it is a weight that you are capable of carrying because you are a strong and respected leader.
JETSR says
Excellent blog entry that clearly identifies the key aspects of leadership growth. I have always focused on professional development and mentorship as the two self-growth aspects for remaining strong and focused across my leadership journey. Thank You!
Leo J. Lampinen says
Most welcome Joe, and thank you for stopping by and joining the discussion. I like that you say leadership “journey” because there is really no destination.
Adam Smith says
It is people that ensures I take leadership seriously. They are the life-breathing, motivating part of leadership. It is what inspires me to move forward and keep doing what I do. If people weren’t involved, it wouldn’t even be important. Thanks for this thought provoking post, Leo. Love this, love this, love this.
Leo J. Lampinen says
I completely agree Adam. Leadership without people is just management.
Julia Winston says
Excellent post!
I am taking time to schedule my professional development. Putting it in my calendar. A class here. A book there. If it’s important you’ll make time for it.
Leo J. Lampinen says
Thank you Julia! You are so right, with the little margin we have these days, getting it on the calendar is critical.
Vee Somphon says
i think your third point about being receptive to feedback is the most important to developing yourself as a leader. You never want your direct reports to feel intimidated about coming to you to speak about things you may not want to hear. This leads to the Ivory Tower effect. To keep the lines of communication open, a leader should ask herself daily: 1) Do I have a feedback mechanism in place to catch problems early? 2) Do have a strategy for catching my people doing something right?
A final note: Early in my career, I used to think that I needed a lofty title in order to have permission to lead. I found out quickly that you can lead without a title and without authority. You simply do what’s needed without thought to doing what gets rewarded. You start earning respect, then before long you do get noticed because people want to work with someone they respect.
Leo J. Lampinen says
Vee, thank you for stopping by and commenting. We are definitely on the same page with the requirement for a lofty title. I totally agree with you. And to be honest I had to Google Ivory Tower. That is definitely not a place I want to be in either. Thank you once again for your feedback.
Vince says
Great article, Leo. I love where you said development starts at home and we can’t wait for our employers to start that process. It’s so true and I’ve seen that in almost every job I’ve ever had. And feedback, this is, in my opinion, one of the most key areas of growth as a leader. If you aren’t willing to accept feedback, then you’ll be stuck where you are until you come to that realization that you aren’t perfect. Feedback was the biggest thing stressed during my time at Apple, but not often practiced as much. When it was; however, it presented a great opportunity for encouragement and growth.
Leo J. Lampinen says
I’m glad it resonated with you as well. I didn’t know you worked at Apple? Or maybe I did and just forgot. But that’s cool anyhow. I would have to assume that the folks at Apple have leadership down pat.