The 12 Principles of Great Business Leadership
INTEGRITY
Great leaders are honest & truthful with every person under all circumstances.
A good leader must lead by example and “walk the talk 24/7”.
There is nowhere to hide as a leader because you are on show, under the spotlight all the time.
Good leaders are reliable and people can trust their word that they in fact will do as they say. In other words good leaders always deliver on their promises.
Consistency is also part of integrity. Good leaders are consistent from one day to the next and in all situations. Consistency also means treating all people the same way.
Are you 100% in integrity with everything you do in your life and your business.
COURAGE
Great leaders have the courage to make decisions, take action and act boldly – often in the face of great difficulties and challenges.
The ability to step up the plate is to face your fears, control your fears and master your fears.
Everyone has fears – leaders are those who face those fears and take action.
Leaders are prepared to fail are prepared to be criticised -they face the “Tall Poppy Syndrome” head on and have the courage to keep going in face of all obstacles, all fears and all criticisms.
Success in business comes from taking risks, getting out of your comfort zone and confronting your fears.
As in life and in business, no matter how well you plan, you will be confronted by problems, challenges, difficulties, disappointments, setbacks and obstacles.
The great leader does not complain nor make excuses, they continue to take action, they hold steadfast with their vision and action plan and move forward.
“ Courage is not lack of fear, absence of fear, but control of fear, mastery of fear”
– Mark Twain.
“Never give in! Never give in! Never, never, never – in nothing great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour & good sense”
Winston Churchill.
Are you being courageous in your life and your business by confronting and controlling your fears? Are you making the necessary decisions?
REALISM
Leaders deal with the world and business as it actually is not as they wish it would be.
Leaders have a “Reality Check” on everything – they get the facts, they rely on quality information before they make decisions – they are pragmatic.
Leaders remain objective and realistic about themselves and their business.
They are not perfectionists and they fully understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Great leaders are fully aware of their own “Internal SWOT Analysis” – they work hard to maximise their strengths and minimise or overcome their weaknesses.
Leaders never hope that luck or chance will solve a problem or a challenge – they are in charge and they will find the answer.
Great leaders live in the “Now”. They know the current reality of their organization –its strengths and weaknesses. They see a future reality, which is better for the organization, and they set goals, make a plan, take action, initiate change and move forward.
Are you a realist in life and business? Do you know the future reality you want for your organization?
POWER
Leaders who use their power to advance the interests of the organization, ahead of their own interests, exercise positive power and inevitably get the desired results.
The leader is usually the person who is most capable of seizing the reins of power but ultimately true and lasting power in an organization comes from the consent of the followers.
Here it is important to see the distinction between Power and Force. A great leader uses his or her power appropriately and effectively without force.
The 4 types of power, which a leader can cultivate.
1. Expert Power
A leader only holds onto power if he or she can clearly demonstrate the ability to get results for the organization. By doing an excellent job consistently a leader acquires more and more power and influence. With expert power you receive more opportunities and more and more doors open.
2. Personal Power
Personal power comes through more people liking and respecting you for your leadership skills and the way you exercise your leadership power.
3. Position Power
Position power is the power, which goes with the job title - General Manager, C.E.O. etc.
You don’t have to necessarily have to possess the skills, the personality, and the leadership traits to hold the position title. Not all G.M’s and C.E.O’s are great business leaders, in fact many are not.
4. Ascribed Power
This is the power you have when the people around you grant you the authority and influence over them.
By being very good at what you do, getting results, by being respected and liked by the people around you, they give you the ascribed power.
The more effective you are and the more results you achieve for your organization, the more power, influence and authority will naturally flow to you.
Are you using your power in a positive way to advance the interests of your organization and your people?
VISION & AMBITION
Leaders have a clear vision of the kind of future they want to create and they have the ability to communicate this vision to others in an exciting and inspiring way.
Leaders have the ability to visualize, to see the big picture and see the future. They then set a goal, make a plan, initiate change and make it happen.
They passionately and wholeheartedly move the organization from its current reality into its future reality
The leader must have a clear ambition - clarity of vision, clarity of values, clarity of mission, clarity of written goals, clarity of plans, clarity of strategies and clarity of the roles and accountabilities of the people involved in the change process.
Do you have a clear vision for your organization, clear values, clear mission, clear written goals, clear plans & clear strategies?
OPTIMISM
Great leaders are always optimistic about achieving their vision – they radiate confidence.
Through optimism and positive thoughts and action a leader inspires others to believe in themselves, the organisation and the leader’s vision.
Optimism is the foundation block of positive thinking and it is the ability to find something positive and worthwhile in all situations.
In some ways this is the easiest leadership principle to develop and work on because it is totally in your control. How you think about yourself, others, situations and life in general is 100% up to you.
Don’t expect to be a great leader and inspire others with your vision for the organization if you are inherently a pessimist.
What are the attributes of optimistic leaders?
1. “Can do” people who are results and solutions oriented.
2. They live in the now and focus on the future – they never dwell in the past.
3. They find positives and something worthwhile in all situations, no matter how dire they may seem.
4. They have the ability to use failures as stepping-stones.
“Optimism is essential to achievement and is also the foundation of courage and
of true progress.” - Nicholas Murray Butler
Are you an optimist?
EMPATHY
Leaders care about the needs and feelings of those they lead.
Leaders recognise the people they lead have different feelings, needs and motivations and they do their absolute best to connect with each individual because they fully understand that people invariably perform according to how they feel.
Empathy requires:
1. Good listening skills and encourage feedback from their employees.
2. Effective clear communication of what is expected of people in terms of job roles and responsibilities.
3. Positive feedback to employees.
4. Encourage free speech and honesty.
Ask your team to rate your empathy level. Ask them how you could improve your relationships skills with them.
RESILIENCE & PERSEVERANCE
Leaders are resilient and steadfast even against the greatest odds, disappointments, challenges and setbacks – “They keep on keeping on”.
In a crisis or a difficult situation that confronts an organization, everyone looks to the leader for the response – how are they coping – the leader’s behaviour will set the tone for the entire organization.
The ability to keep going, bounce back and keep moving forward towards the vision is resilience.
“I am not the smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeeded because I kept going and going and going.” –Sylvester Stallone
“Victory belongs to the most persevering.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again.” –W.E.Hickson
Ask yourself what are the worst three things that could go wrong in your business. What would you do if that happened what would be your contingency plan?
INDEPENDENCE OF THOUGHT AND ACTION
Leaders are very clear about themselves, their vision, what they stand for and believe in – they are independent of thought and action.
Leaders know their own strength and weaknesses and they accept them and likewise they accept others strengths and weaknesses.
Independent leaders are:
· Think for themselves and make up their own mind.
· Concern for the feelings and opinions of others.
· Welcome feedback and input from others.
· Accept responsibility & don’t make excuses.
· Know their own strengths and weaknesses.
· Set high standards for themselves.
· Have clear goals for themselves and their organization.
Decide exactly what your vision is and what you stand for. Make sure that everything you do is consistent with this.
MATURITY
Leaders are mature in their response to problems, challenges and difficulties.
Mature leaders need to be at peace with themselves and calm and balanced when confronted by challenges and difficulties.
Emotional maturity is:
· The ability to live with change and fear.
· Knowing your best is good enough.
· Not getting angry and yelling and screaming when things don’t work out or people let you down.
· Having a good positive self-image.
· Being centred and balanced.
Once again look at the 3 biggest challenges you face in business today. Analyse your response/s and attitudes towards them? What do you plan to do about them? What is the next step?
EXCELLENCE IN EXECUTION
Leaders are committed to excellence and the absolute best possible implementation of their vision, goals and action plans.
Leaders committed to excellence:
· Set the highest standards for themselves.
· Set the same standards for everyone who reports to them.
· Are always learning themselves and expect their employees to continually learn.
· Aim to be the best in their industry.
· Benchmark themselves and their organisation against the best in the world.
· Are winners.
Are you truly committed to excellence in the execution of your business vision, plans and day-to- day activities?
FORESIGHT
Visionary leaders are able to see the future and a future reality for their business, which is possible and achievable.
Look into the future of your business and imagine the most exciting things that could occur. What do you see -what are they, what do they look like & how does your business benefit, what are you and your people doing?
Using these 12 principles as the foundation for your business and the role you play in your business will set you apart as a leader. Not just a leader to your staff but a leader your customers, suppliers and other parties.