The effect of leadership failure on any organization of people is the same: Polarization, instability, and if left unchecked, destruction.
–Steve Tobak
We continually provide tips and share stories about becoming a more effective leader, and we also discuss optimal behaviors and skill-sets that the strongest leaders possess. Why? Because if we don’t continually work at being our best, we may find that we have unintentionally created instability or uncertainty, and find that our team is floundering.
Effective leaders set the tone for their entire team/organization. They share their vision, mission, goals, and strategies, and they create and communicate a roadmap for reaching the desired point of destination.
They focus on inclusiveness. They communicate. They clarify how each colleague can contribute to achieving shared goals. They help everyone understand how and why they each have a role, helping minimize obstacles within the roadmap.
In Deloitte Insights, Juliet Bourke and Bernadette Dillon published The Six Signature Traits Of Inclusive Leadership:
SIX SIGNATURE TRAITS
- COGNIZANCE – Bias is a leaders Achilles heel
- CURIOSITY – Different ideas and experiences enable growth
- CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE – Not everyone sees the world through the same cultural frame
- COLLABORATION – A diverse thinking team is greater than the sum of its parts
- COMMITMENT – Staying the course is hard
- COURAGE – Talking about imperfections involves personal risk taking
These concepts should sound very familiar. We equate them to:
Awareness – of self and others and the value provided
Continual learning – never get complacent or lose the desire to improve and listen to differing perspectives
Emotional Intelligence – understand the difference between IQ and EQ and leverage the strengths
Collaboration – working together to find a solution is a win-win
Accountability, persistence and commitment – don’t give up despite barriers or failures
Courage – We coined the term CourageAbility™ (and wrote a book!)
Is inclusive leadership part of your work culture?
QWIKTIPS – click to read why FEAR IS A BARRIER TO SUCCESS