How to be a better LEADER.

Today’s business climate is more competitive than ever. Consumers are becoming more discerning. Technology is enabling consumer empowerment by creating a new breed of informed consumers. Companies are in a constant battle to achieve more in a world where there are often less resources available.

Research has shown that outcomes such as increased levels of customer loyalty, deep employee engagement, and higher employee loyalty, dedication and commitment, influence the overall performance of the organization. We all know intuitively that loyal and committed employees come to work more often, commit less errors, and most importantly stay with an organization longer. Employees who choose to leave an organization increase the overall costs to the company not only through recruiting and training costs, but more importantly through opportunity cost, as important knowledge and skills often leave the business with them.

Leadership type and performance are key factors determining organizational outcomes. Moreover, leadership is contextual and situational; what works for one leader in one organization may not work for the next leader in a similar role. To maximize performance, the leader must be able to adapt to the needs of his or her team. The goal of a leader is to create an environment where employees achieve maximum performance.

Given leadership is such an important factor in organizational success it is no wonder that the topic gets so much attention. A simple web search will reveal thousands of recent articles on the subject. But how does one navigate all this information? What is the true essence of leadership? Can leadership be taught or is it something that one is just born with? Questions such as these have been around since businesses have understood and discussed the importance of leadership. The good news is that research shows that great leadership can be taught.

Over my career, I’ve learned that leadership is a combination of integrity and honesty, coupled with a few key behaviors. I’ve seen some of the best, and unfortunately worst, examples of leadership. Over time, I found the key behaviors common among all the great leaders I have had the privilege to work with, and work for. I have compiled these behaviors into a simple model to help drive leadership learning and execution. The LEADER model encompasses these behaviors. At a high level the LEADER behaviors are:

LEAD – Have vision and set the course for the organization or team. Be a forward-thinker and show you’re ready to lead the way when it comes to personal & professional growth.

ENGAGE – Embody the "win together" spirit by fostering a culture of employee engagement. Communicate often, truthfully, and transparently.

ACHIEVE – Strive for personal growth. Demonstrate the ability to set, manage, and accomplish goals. Never accept the status quo. Understand that leadership is a journey and not a destination.

DEVELOP – Have a passion for spotting talent in others, providing resources, training, support, and opportunities, allowing people to achieve their highest potential. The single most important role of a leader is making everyone around them better.

EMPOWER – Encourage your team and peers to maximize their potential and cultivate talent through empowerment. Provide stretch assignments. Teach new skills. Provide the tools and resources to create success.

RESULTS – Outcomes and actions are what we are paid for. Performance matters. Achieving business priorities ensures continued success. Putting customers first should remain among the top priorities.

The LEADER model provides a structured and intuitive way to think about leadership competencies. Over the next few articles we’ll dive deeper into each of these behaviors. What you’ll find is that these activities are not complicated, in fact they are common sense. The true challenge comes in making them common practice.