Exceptional leaders influence decisions, enthusiasm, actions, possibilities, confidence, beliefs, direction, and culture. Influence is what an exceptional leader does, and it shows up in myriad ways. The tactics can and will change; the definition will not.
2. Leadership is not a talent.
It’s amazing how much time leaders and managers spend thinking about incentives and promotions and how little we spend learning to understand temperaments and what motivates different kinds of people. A leader who does not study temperament theory will not be able to lead a broad group of diverse people. This will be the lid on their leadership potential. Do you know how to influence every type of person? Do you know what makes them tick? You should, if you want to effectively lead diverse teams.
The best leaders, the most effective leaders, and the leaders with the most upside all get this. We all need to see ourselves as people who are actively improving. Show me a leader who thinks he or she has nothing to learn, and I will show you someone who will be obsolete in a matter of a few years (if not already). This is a persistent misunderstanding of ineffective leaders; they just don’t understand that when you quit working on yourself, you’re admitting that you have no upside. The work-in-progress leader is an attractive leader who will gather skills, insights and followers very quickly. Since you are reading this, this is you!
This is the only leadership trait on this list that often gets worse for leaders with lots of experience. New leaders are often too self-aware, and this self-awareness naturally recedes to a healthy (and effective) level with time. Experienced leaders, though, can totally lose touch with the crucial importance of self-awareness. There are experienced leaders who never even consider how they’re being perceived or the impact they may be having on their teams. In the worst cases, this lack of understanding can undo a lot of good work and severely stunt the leader’s effectiveness. Besides, no one likes someone that does not understand how to share energy with those around them.
6. They Are Thermostats, Not Thermometers.
Take a few more minutes to register with the Exceptional Leaders Lab so you can (1) Get your free report on “The 6 Mistakes Exceptional Leaders Avoid”, and (2) access our innovative leadership course “The Exceptional Leaders Playbook”. The Exceptional Leaders Lab is an international community of progressive leaders focused on improving their leadership skills and their impact with their teams and organizations.
Great stuff Tracy! You are a true leader!