5 Essential Functions of Leaders

Leaders are asked to fulfill a significant number of functions. All of them are important. But when it comes to the most successful leaders I have known, they do 5 things very well.

1. Be a "Cup Filler" - One of the most important functions of a leader is to inspire others. Inspiration can take place in many contexts but it is supercharged when there is a relationship between the leader and those they lead. Relationships are created by connections. Connections are created by Interactions. Interactions are created by a willingness to engage. Opportunities to engage are everywhere if you can learn to recognize them. They happen all the time as we pass each other in the hallway, or take a ride on the elevator, stand in line waiting, or even virtually online. Sometimes it is just a smile and a warm hello. Other times it is a kind word of encouragement. These interactions are the building blocks of inspiration via the establishment of connections. One of the best ways to create connections is by filling the cup of others. When I set about to fill the cup of others, I am reminded of a book by Gary Chapman entitled "The 5 Love Languages" that, while written about how people in relationships express love, can apply to the workforce, with some admonition of course. The concept is there are 5 ways that everyone prefers to receive and show love to others. Words of Affirmation (expressing praise or appreciation), Quality Time (undivided attention, making eye contact, active listening), Acts of Service (nice things you can do for others), Gift Giving (particularly those with thoughtfulness) and Physical Touch. For the time being, since we're talking about a professional environment, we're going to set aside 'physical touch' as a way to 'fill the cup' of others and only focus on the 4 remaining 'love languages.' I was recently visiting my parents in an Assisted Living facility near Austin, Texas. As I stepped onto the elevator, two Caregivers joined with me. As we rode up to the top floor where my parents unit was located there was a lull in their conversation so I looked at them and said "I just want you to know, I really appreciate all that you do here. It can't be an easy job at times but it's important and it's meaningful for those of us who have relatives living here." You would have thought I just gave them each $1,000. The smiles on their faces and their demeanor told me they probably had not heard that often enough. Since I was there visiting for the entire day I had the opportunity to share space with these Caregivers on multiple occasions and by the end of the day we were talking like we were old friends. They knew my name and I knew their name and we always greeted each other with big smiles. Words of Affirmation are easy to provide, and very impactful. The same can be said about providing Quality Time. When someone wants my attention, I turn and face them fully (or stare directly into the camera so it looks like I'm looking right at them) and I don't look at other screens, or my phone or let any other distraction take away from the time that person needs. They have my full attention in that moment. I had a manager once who never turned around when I entered into his office. He used one of those small rear view mirrors on his monitor so he could see me without turning around. That wasn't a great feeling. Neither is it when the leader on the other end of the video is constantly glancing off or looking down. Great leaders know that quality time matters to the people they lead. Acts of Service is another way you can fill the cup of others. This can be more challenging but those opportunities do exist if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and engage. Acts of Service can take place by participating in tasks or activities that are often left to those on the front lines of your business. They can also be found in more mundane interactions such as company sponsored lunches or events. One of the more powerful examples of "Acts of Service" came when I was taking a daughter on a college visit and there was a dinner arranged for all the prospective students and their parents with a keynote address by the President of the University. The President was a polished speaker who gave a terrific overview of the value of his university. However, it was what happened after dinner that was most meaningful to me and my family. The President of the University helped clear off the tables! He helped remove dirty dishes, utensils and get coffee refills for those who wanted it. The President served us, quite literally. It made a huge impression on everyone and when he told us the faculty was there to serve our children, we all believed him. There are opportunities to display "Acts of Service" if you are willing to humble yourself and serve others. Lastly, Gift Giving is normally quite easy if your company uses any type of Employee Recognition platform where points or dollar values are assigned to recognition. However it does not have to be limited to formal programs. I like to read leadership oriented books. I still prefer the hardcover book to reading online or listening to audio books. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to give that book away to someone who can also benefit from it. I've given away a significant number of books over the years, including to complete strangers who I simply shared a plane ride with or was seated near.
2. Speak the Truth (with care and compassion) - Leaders have responsibility to develop people and improve performance. In fact, the number one reason, in my opinion, that leaders fail is the inability to improve performance of their teams and hold them accountable. In order to do this, you frequently have to speak the truth about their performance. But leaders who simply speak the truth without considering the way in which that message is delivered risk undermining their own leadership. You can speak with truth with indifference, with sarcasm or with harsh criticism. Or you can speak with truth with care and compassion. Speaking the truth without care and compassion will often cause a person to shut down. Once they shut down, it's hard to get them back. However, if you speak the truth with care and compassion and approach it in an instructive way, you can improve performance and create an environment where your employees are not afraid to fail. This is not to say you need to sugar-coat performance. That is not what I'm saying at all. It is important to see performance for what it is, and not whitewash over poor performance. But the best leaders I've been around can deliver an improvement needed message and make it feel like they are there to help you versus just being cold and critical.
3. Communicate Effectively - Communication is easy. However it's the second part of that phrase that stumps me from time to time. The 'effectively' part can take on a feeling of 'art' where one person sees muddled colors but another person sees beauty. The same is said about communication. Sometimes people may think the communication is muddled and unclear, whereas other times it will speak clearly to them. I try to carefully consider the audience, the message, and the timing when looking to accomplish the 'effectively' part. Some of the best communicators I know have an uncanny ability to understand the needs of their audience and then craft a message for them. From that aspect, emotional intelligence is critical for effective communication. Craft your communication based on your audience. That may sound pretty simple but there is something else implied here. You have to know your audience. I mean really know them. Which means you have to be in and around them. You have to know what is on their mind. You have to know what they want to hear about and how they prefer to be communicated with. There is a book entitled "They Smell Like Sheep" which is a book about servant leadership. The concept is the Shepherd (aka the leader) spends time in and around the sheep so much so that they smell like sheep. This is also true about leadership in the workplace. If you aren't in and around the people you lead, you will never know what they really need and you'll never have the kind of relationship that leads to effective leadership. A great leader communicates effectively, and the best leaders make me crave their communication.
4. Have a Moral Compass that everyone sees - You can't be a great leader without a moral compass. That may sound odd, but ethics and morality are closely correlated even in the business world. The reason this is true is because of the importance of trust in a leadership. If a leader cannot be trusted to make the right (ie., the ethical) decision then they will be ineffective in their leadership. Let's say you have a moral compass. If so, that's terrific. But how can you ensure that everyone sees your moral compass? That's the more challenging part and quite frankly, it takes some vulnerability. For most leaders, and certainly those who lead large organizations, who they are as a person takes on an element of reputation because there is no way a single leader can know, and be known by, hundreds of people at the level needed to see their moral compass. I find the best way to ensure my teams see my moral compass is through storytelling. Stories can be short and about literally anything as long as they help paint the picture of who you are as a person. I tell stories of my children and grandchildren. I also share stories about other parts of my life that are not work related. I teach MBA courses and am actively involved in my local church. Of course, nothing makes for a better story than one that occurs in the workplace that can highlight your ethics. These stories can help paint a picture of your moral compass and help to build trust within your organization. Never underestimate the power of storytelling.
5. Create a vision - It's one thing to set yourself up to be viewed as a leader. But leadership for the sake of being seen as a leader misses the point. Leaders lead people towards something. Where are you going? What are you trying to accomplish? Most new leaders fail to grasp how to create a vision. What I hear most of the time from new leaders when I talk about setting a vision is that the company sets the vision and they don't see the value of setting their own vision. Most companies do have visions. Leaders, however, cast visions of their own that help companies achieve the corporate vision. Think of it as putting your own personal stamp on 'how you go about helping the company achieve their vision.' In order to do this, you have to know the collective strengths and weaknesses of your organization. Are they great at producing quality work? Are they great at continuous improvement? Are they excellent at collaboration? Or are these areas that need improvement? When setting a vision I find it best to have a mixture of things we are already very good at, along with things that we need a little extra focus to improve. Keep your vision limited to 3-5 key focus areas, and the fewer the better. Otherwise you risk trying to spreading yourselves too thin and accomplishing nothing. The most effective leaders I have work with create a vision and focus efforts in those areas.

There are so many things that leaders must be and skills they must have. I'm not trying to limit leaders to just these 5 functions. It's just been my experience that the most effective leaders in my life have done these things very well. What other functions have you seen the best leaders in your life doing well?

Steve...