One of the saddest things in the business world is internal politics. Many people play the game to gain control to move their agenda forward — an exceptional leader pulls others up. However, many people in power positions (managers, board members, elected officials, etc.) choose to push good folks down.
"Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline." ― Jim Collins
People are your most valuable asset. Moreover, how you treat them is the difference between success and failure. By micromanaging, blaming, and holding people back, you create a culture of distrust. Often this management behaviour manifests in high turnover, low morale, and lack of creativity.
"Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients." — Richard Branson
Too Many Managers — Too Few Leaders
Organizations have many managers. However, most of them lack leaders. I found that throughout my career, I only had a few managers who were leaders. These leaders made a significant impact and influenced my agile leadership style. So, as a CEO, I worked to transform my managers into leaders.
Furthermore, I have hired many managers. I found that it is a rare individual who excels in both managing and leading. Managers, while being exceptional at administration, are often overprotective of the status quo. They tend to seek staff who follow their wishes. These managers feel that they need to be in charge. Today, I use performance traits to predict the likelihood that the individual will be a leader or just a manager. It is best if you slot the potential candidate into your succession plan before you hire them. To do this, consider the next three progression steps when hiring anyone.
No Ego
"You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit." ― Jim Collins
Organizations should be concerned when their passionate people become quiet. An exceptional leader does not need constant stroking of his or her ego. So,
- avoid surrounding yourself with "yes employees"
- inspire and motivate others
- seek opportunities to improve everything — processes, products, and people
- push team members to grow and develop to reach their full potential
- invest in your people
Developing your leadership skills is a lifetime project. It is far too easy, as a manager, to feel like you must be the one who knows everything and bark out orders.
As an exceptional leader, you need to keep learning. You know that your team is only as strong as their weakest link. So, build a formidable team and surround yourself with smart, passionate, and highly competent people. The higher your success, the more you will value the diversity of thought. You will strive to stay in touch with fresh and diverse opinions and perspectives and welcome learning feedback.
Lack of Succession Planning
A research team, led by Jim Collins, conducted a five-year analysis of organizations that made a sustained transition from Good to Great. Succession planning was a significant factor.
"In over three-quarters of the comparison companies, we found executives who set their successors up for failure or chose weak successors, or both." — Jim Collins
Leaders who cultivate other leaders multiply their success. Some managers think that developing potential leaders threatens their authority or position. However, not growing and use the talent stack of others is setting yourself and your organization up for failure.
"Great vision without great people is irrelevant." ― Jim Collins
I have found that it is particularly useful to understand team members' performance traits to structure the organization and their work based on their natural strengths. However, it is also essential to understand the challenge areas that are essential to the job that those where the individual may struggle. We cannot ignore these traits. Furthermore, it is best if you help team members develop strategies to manage these challenges.
The best way to do this is to use performance traits analytics. The insights provide valuable guidance across the employee's entire lifecycle — selection, onboarding, development, work assignments, team formation, and succession.
Concluding Thoughts
Your ego must go. Leadership is not about you. An exceptional leadership finds and appreciates the differences that each team member brings to the table. The War for Talent is over, and talent won. Moreover, it is finding a way to make full use of these talents. Your success is a result of your team.
When you play to your team's strengths, and everyone wins!
Ladder of Leadership: New Research Unveiled
A behavioral competency model for driving top performance at three corporate leadership levels.
In the paper we share the competencies that are:
- Always On: Only two performance competencies from manager to C-Suite
- Leap: “Bridging” performance competencies for moving between each management level
- Lead: Unique performance competencies for every stage of management
- Leave Behinds: The “once and done” list— suitable only for where you are, not where you’re going
We offer our services worldwide. Download the research.
